A Mishap and an Opportunity
by SilverLightning26
Summary: Sent back in time due to a careless mistake, Harry is granted a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get to know those people he should have known since birth. With his "sister" Tonks by his side, what will Harry make of this unique opportunity? Will he finally have the family he's always longed for? Join Harry as he joins the Marauders in 1976. Now rewritten through Chapter 6.
1. Prologue

Hi everyone! Welcome to A Mishap and an Opportunity! For my new readers, this story is currently undergoing an intense rewrite. So as a warning, the first few chapters may not line up exactly. But I promise you won't be missing much. But as a result, there may be some repetition or an unexplained time skip up through whichever chapter I'm revising at the moment. Please forgive this and bear with me as I try to make this story better than it was. Feel free to give suggestions on the later chapters on how I can improve them.

For my old readers, welcome back! And rest assured: the plot is not going to suffer any major changes in this rewrite, nor will the general sequence of events. There _will_ be some details and the occasional scene omitted from the earlier version, and there will be some new content. I'm striving for greater coherency and cohesion between chapters, as well as connecting to an overarching plot, so let me know how I'm doing. Once again, feel free to give me suggestions for improvement, and tell me if there are any scenes you don't want deleted. If I can manage it, I'll keep them in the main story arc. If not, and if enough people want to keep them, I'll post those scenes as a separate one-shot.

Updates will be sporadic as I get bursts of inspiration, and I don't consistently have access to the Internet. So bear with me. But for today, I'll be uploading the prologue and the first two revised chapters as a special treat. Unfortunately, I won't be posting any brand-new chapters until I'm done with the rewrite, because I'm not sure how the story will turn out by then. But I _will_ be finishing this story. It just might take me a while.

Sorry for the long author's note. On to the story! Please read, review and enjoy!

 **Prologue**

 _Finally_. Harry yawned and stretched as his last OWL paper flew down the aisle onto the ministry official's desk. After getting in contact with Remus at the beginning of the summer, he'd received some good advice about his studies. Among that advice was to study and take the OWL for any subject that interested him that he hadn't already taken the classes for (and that would actually be useful for his future—unlike Divination). Harry had decided to study Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and take the OWLs through the ministry—an option made available to students who were homeschooled, but were open for other students as well.

As soon as he was dismissed, Harry made his way to the lifts, where he would be meeting Tonks. After meeting her the previous summer and staying in sporadic contact through fifth year, they had become friends. When Harry had informed her of his plans, she had offered to escort him to the Ministry of Magic that morning rather than make him take the Knight Bus. Harry, recalling his unpleasant experience with said bus before third year, gladly accepted.

"Finally done?" Tonks asked as Harry approached.

Harry nodded. "Finally. I hardly even got a summer vacation. Term starts in less than a month!"

"And as much as I approve of furthering your education, I still think you're crazy for wasting your summer studying!" She scolded playfully. Harry shrugged.

"Now you just need to teach me to apparate and I'll be all set for adult life. Right?"

Tonks raised an eyebrow and tapped her nose, winking. "Remus disapproves; you're not old enough."

Harry's scoff was drowned out by the screeching arrival of the lift. "Since when did that stop me from doing anything?"

Tonks shrugged and entered the lift. Harry followed. After a jarring ride down one level, they were both jostled aside by several muttering employees.

"Oy! A little courtesy wouldn't go amiss!" Tonks complained. She was ignored.

"—down to the Department of Mysteries. Damn kids, causing all kinds of mess," one of them was muttering.

"Leastways it's nearly done," another replied. Both were wearing long, dark blue robes with the letters "DoM" embossed over the breast pocket.

"Is there any way I could help?" Harry asked, raising his voice to be heard above the grumbling.

"If you've got a few thousand galleons," came the gruff reply, not even bothering to look at the speaker.

"Who would I talk to if I did?" Harry felt bad about the destruction he and his friends had caused at the end of fifth year. He hadn't given it much thought, but now that there was an opportunity to do something about it, he was going to take it if he could.

"Down to the Unspeakables' office, likely. Someone's always on duty there." The lift jarred to a stop. "This is me," the man added, then he left the lift. His companion followed.

Harry turned to Tonks. "Do you mind? I'd like to try to make up for all the damage I caused."

Tonks shrugged. "I suppose. I've always wanted to see what it looks like down there. Didn't get a good look the first time—you know, imminent danger and all that."

"Thanks."

They took the lift down to the bottommost level and, after several wrong turns, found the main desk with a very bored-looking witch sitting behind it wearing the same robes as the men in the lifts. After explaining what they were doing down there, she called for someone to show them around.

After a _very_ firm warning not to touch _anything_ , the middle-aged Unspeakable led them through some of the main rooms to explain some of the damages. Harry grimaced at the damage that was still visible, though from what their escort said, most of the loss was in knowledge as opposed to material items. It was certainly going to be a hefty "donation."

The last room on their tour was the Time Room. Harry vividly recalled the smashed time-turners and the Death Eater whose head had gotten caught in a time loop.

"Don't touch _anything_ ," the Unspeakable repeated. "Most everything has been cleaned up, but this room is still extremely volatile." He led them to the far end of the room, where the cabinet that held the time-turners had stood. In its place was a pedestal with a huge, roughly cylindrical object.

Inside, a smoky mass of gold-colored particles swirled aimlessly, occasionally bumping against the glass. It sort of reminded Harry of the prophecy orbs. The random motion was mesmerizing, and in the sand Harry caught glimpses of what he was sure were events long past.

"This is the Era Glass. It's where we extract the dust for time turners. It's a very particular process, as it reacts poorly even to gloved hands. It requires a lot of delicate wand work. It's even more temperamental now that—"

"Don't touch it, Harry!" Tonks shouted, grabbing Harry's wrist. Her voice startled him out of his daze and his hand dropped—onto the Era Glass. His entire body seized as with an electrical current. His hand seemed glued to the glass, like with a portkey. There was a violent yank around his navel—then everything went black.


	2. 1976

**Chapter 1 1976**

Slowly, Harry regained awareness. His whole body was sore and he was lying on his back. He blinked slowly, then opened his eyes to see a blue sky dotted with high, thin clouds. _Huh? Why am I outside?_

Grunting in pain, Harry pulled himself into a sitting position. It felt like he'd traveled a very long distance via portkey. He glanced around, orienting himself to his new surroundings—only to realize they were very familiar. Wasn't that…Honeydukes? But why did it look so run-down? Last he knew, business was booming. And that was Hermione's favorite shop, Shriveners. It looked a lot…newer. Like it was just built.

A groan sounded a few feet away. Harry looked toward the sound to see Tonks sitting up, blinking confusedly. Her eyes widened as she looked around, then she turned sharply toward Harry.

"What in _Merlin's_ name did you do _this_ time?" she demanded. Her hair turned a dangerous shade of orange.

"It's not my fault!" Harry said automatically, getting to his feet. Suddenly he found himself staring Tonks directly in the face.

"It is _entirely_ your fault. You never mean to get into trouble, yet it follows you like a magnet!"

"You don't have to _yell_ at me," Harry protested. "I don't do it on purpose!"

"Maybe not, but it still _happened._ Now we could be Merlin knows when!"

"I know exactly where we are—Hogsmeade!" Harry retorted. Then her words registered. Wait… _when_? "Bollocks."

"Finally caught on then, have you?" Tonks crossed her arms, her hair turning dark red. "We could literally be _anywhere_ in time."

"Well, we're obviously not in the Stone Age," Harry offered, trying to quell his growing panic with humor.

Tonks scoffed. "That depends on who you ask." Then she glanced around again, her hair turning a less dangerous shade of blue. "You're right, though. We can't have gone more than a hundred years or so in either direction." Her voice carried a little more than a hint of sarcasm.

"So let's find a newspaper and find out."

"If they even exist yet," Tonks muttered.

They split up, scanning doorsteps and rubbish bins for a recent newspaper. It was late afternoon, but there was no one about and most of the shops were closed. So they were spared, at least for now, any curious glances. After a few minutes of searching, Harry heard a gasp.

"It's not possible," Tonks breathed.

"What's not possible?" Harry asked, rejoining her in front of Honeydukes.

"This," she said, pointing at the top corner of the crumpled _Daily Prophet_ she held.

Harry furrowed his brow, scanning the headlines. Then he spotted the date Tonks had indicated. 1976, it read. They had traveled _twenty years_ into the past.

Harry stared openmouthed at the date, hoping this was some kind of prank. Words were beyond him. They needed to be getting back soon. Not that the Dursleys would worry, but still. And Tonks had work in the morning. Then it hit him. Twenty years. Harry's parents were still—

"So, now what?" Tonks's voice broke Harry out of his daze. He shook himself a little and glanced again at the newspaper Tonks still held out. The actual date read August 3, 1976. While it may have been a few days old, it was the same time of year as when they'd—left? Been transported? Whichever it was, it was scarcely a week's difference.

"I guess we find someplace to stay, at least until term starts."

"What does the start of term have to do with anything?"

"Obviously, I'm going back to Hogwarts. I'm about to start my sixth year," Harry said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He couldn't fathom otherwise. "Besides, Dumbledore can help us figure out how to get back to our time." Harry tried to tell himself it wasn't because he wanted to go to school at the same time—and maybe even in the same year!—as his parents.

" _I'm_ not going back to school," Tonks declared. "I don't want to go back into that cesspool of teenaged angst and drama."

"You'd leave the poor, underaged orphan to fend for himself?" Harry made his best puppy-dog eyes and secretly smirked to himself when she hesitated.

Tonks glared at him for a good minute before she finally huffed. " _Fine_. I guess _someone_ has to keep you out of trouble. _Little brother_ ," she declared, smirking at Harry now.

Harry brightened. "I've always wanted a twin sister."

"Oy! Who said anything about being twins?"

Harry shrugged. "It's either that or you become a seventh year. And you'll have to retake your NEWTs," he added, smirking.

"Twins it is, then," Tonks said quickly. "Still remember what I showed you?"

Harry nodded, then closed his eyes and concentrated. Over the summer, through a completely innocent recounting of childhood accidental magic, Harry had discovered that he was a metamorphmagus. He was still very much a beginner, but Tonks had been coaching him ever since he found out, and Harry had been practicing every chance he got—innate magic, such as with a metamorphmagus, was the only type of magic the Ministry couldn't track.

After a moment, Harry opened his eyes. Tonks gave him an approving nod and handed him a hand mirror (the newspaper was nowhere in sight). Harry smirked at his reflection—straight midnight black hair that hung just past his ears (and over his forehead, hiding the famous scar), grey-green eyes, slightly sharper cheekbones. There was only the slightest trace left of Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, and only if you knew to look for it would you find it.

Harry glanced up just in time to see Tonks transform herself into a female copy of Harry's chosen appearance. She even kept the short-cropped hair. If it weren't for Tonks's obviously female figure, they would have been exactly identical.

"Shall we find a room, dear brother?" Tonks asked, her now-blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"We shall, dear sister," Harry teased back. Tonks rolled her eyes, but grabbed his arm and apparated the pair of them to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.

The next day, Tonks and Harry faced several new problems. They had new appearances, but they needed names, and a story, and basic necessities. Harry had his Hogwarts bag on him in which he'd brought supplies for his tests, but all that had were a few books, parchment scraps, and some quills and ink, and a bag of gold, plus his four most prized possessions that he kept on him at all times—his invisibility cloak, the Marauders' Map, his photo album, and his (shrunken) Firebolt—tucked into a secret compartment. Tonks had nothing but her wand and the clothes on her back and a few sickles stuffed into a pocket and forgotten.

So, after renting a room, the day was spent buying necessities, like clothes, and looking for temporary employment (because Harry's gold wouldn't last long and wouldn't cover any emergency expenses that might come up). They also wrote to Dumbledore.

Harry tried to convince Tonks to ask the headmaster for help getting back to their own time, but Tonks declared this was a perfect time for Harry to finally learn some responsibility. So, they'd research on their own for a while and only ask for help if they couldn't find any answers by Christmas. Instead, Tonks composed a letter explaining that two recently orphaned and previously homeschooled sixteen-year-old siblings desired to attend Hogwarts to complete their education.

By the time the letter was finished, Harry had found a temporary job helping Tom the barkeep around the Leaky Cauldron, mostly doing dishes. By the time they finished shopping, Tonks had been hired on as Madame Malkin's assistant, as the previous one had only just quit. By evening, the pair—now known around Diagon Alley as twins Harrison and Joselyn Carter—were exhausted but content.

The next two weeks kept Harry and Tonks busy. Their official Hogwarts acceptance letters arrived the Monday following their arrival, as well as a letter from Professor McGonagall stating that should they need any kind of assistance to simply contact her. So as soon as their new jobs permitted, they went shopping for school supplies. Harry spent his free time continuing his studies from the summer and keeping up his Occlumency. Tonks spent her free time borrowing Harry's notes and brushing up on what she should know as a new sixth-year student at Hogwarts.

After the first week, the Alley—previously sparsely populated—began to fill up as students started coming to get supplies for the new term. Harry began to make a game out of how many he could pick out as possible parents or relatives of the kids in his year, back in 1996. Even Tonks started to catch the excitement of returning to Hogwarts.

Then they both received a brutal reminder that this was anything but peacetime.

Without warning on a Tuesday afternoon, red-robed figures began Flooing into the Leaky Cauldron while Harry was on shift, and patrons began storming the pub in their rush to get out.

"Death Eaters! Attack in Diagon Alley!" came the cry.

Harry's heart stopped. _Tonks_! Surely the robe shop would be a target. He glanced pleadingly at Tom, who nodded resignedly at Harry's panicked request. Without looking back, Harry took off through the pub and into the Alley

Immediately upon entering, Harry ducked and rolled to the side to avoid two curses, one a sickly orangey-red and the other a vibrant green he was all too familiar with. Smoke filled the air, muffling the sound of the panicked shouts that rang across the whole Alley. Rubble littered the ground and Harry scraped up his hands and knees as he stumbled his way toward Madame Malkin's. Four times he was forced to cast a shield charm, and twice he retaliated to spells sent his way.

"Ton—Joselyn!" Harry called, choking on the smoke. He knew she could take care of herself—she _was_ a fully-trained auror—but that didn't stop him from worrying about his surrogate sister.

He spotted her by the light blue over robe that was her work uniform and the short-cropped black hair. He rushed to her side, gasping. She gave him a tight smile, then immediately cast a shield charm as spells came at the pair of them from both sides. Almost automatically, Harry moved to cover her back as she moved to cover his and they furiously fought off the black-robed assailants.

The fight seemed to last an eternity. Death Eaters were everywhere and they clearly had the upper hand. Already Harry was battered and dirty, and Tonks was hardly faring any better. Suddenly a surge of figures clad in dark red flooded the streets of Diagon Alley—the aurors had arrived! Almost immediately all the Death Eaters vanished but for about half a dozen who had been incapacitated by the fighters.

In the wake of their disappearance, the Alley was left in confusion and fear. There was rubble everywhere; hardly any of the main shop fronts remained undamaged. The few Death Eaters who had been left behind were quickly apprehended and transported to the Ministry. Then the cleanup efforts began. Harry and Tonks helped where they could, moving in and amongst the aurors and shopkeepers to help the wounded, clear the worst of the rubble, and begin rudimentary repairs.

"Good job, kids," one of the aurors said, wiping his brow.

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, turning toward him. Then he did a double-take—this man had the same messy black hair that Harry did (when he wasn't morphed into Harrison Carter, that is), similar features, and hazel eyes that seemed somehow familiar.

The man Harry was now certain was his grandfather smiled. His eyes crinkled and the expression fairly took ten years off his face. "I should be thanking you. Between the three of us," he said, lowering his voice, the smile still in place, "you kids were more effective than half my auror team put together."

Harry tried to hide a flush of pride; Tonks smirked. "We try," she said.

It was dusk by the time Harry and Tonks returned to the Leaky Cauldron, dusty, bruised, and exhausted. Tom took one look at Harry and gave him the day off tomorrow. Harry managed a tired smile in thanks. The moment they returned to their room, he collapsed onto his bed and was almost immediately asleep.

Before Harry knew it, it was the day before term was to start. The mood of the Alley had changed drastically since the attack, but even a Death Eater attack couldn't forestall the influx of new and returning Hogwarts students coming to get their supplies. Harry and Tonks had received their official Hogwarts letters two weeks previous and they had purchased all their supplies just a few days ago.

Around nine o'clock, Tom the barkeep insisted Harry take the rest of the night off and go to bed early. Harry gladly agreed. He had a feeling he'd need his sleep for tomorrow—the day he'd meet his parents for the first time. He was already nervous, and he had no desire to make things worse by being tired. So, as soon as he returned to his room, he got ready for bed. Tonks returned just as he was beginning his Occlumency practice—a habit he'd gotten into shortly after returning from his fifth year, realizing how useful it was, not only for keeping his mind clear, but also for keeping it organized. Studying was far easier if he took the time to organize his mind each night.

"Turning in?" Tonks asked as she came in.

"Yeah. Tomorrow will be bad enough; I don't want to be tired on top of it."

Tonks smiled sympathetically. "Don't let me keep you up, then."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. Good night." And with that he turned in, hoping for a good night's rest.

Things did not go according to plan.

 _Watch out!_

 _No! Sirius, no!_

 _You're weak, boy. You could never hope to defeat me..._

 _Spell fire. Shouting. His friends were in danger. He had to get to them. Running, shouting their names. He had to—_

 _Running through the Department of Mysteries. Taunting laughter from a wild-haired woman. A fluttering veil._

 _Running through Little Hangleton graveyard. A bubbling cauldron. Echoing voices. Names on the tombstones, familiar ones. Cedric Diggory. Luna Lovegood. Nymphadora Tonks. Ronald Weasley. Ginny Weasley. Hermione Granger. Remus Lupin. Sirius Black. James Potter. Lily Potter. A flash of green light. A scream._

Harry woke with a stifled cry. His heart was pounding; his eyes were damp and stinging. He took a deep, unsteady breath and glanced over. Tonks was undisturbed. She lay sprawled across the bed like always, silhouetted by the pale light of the growing dawn. The covers were lopsided, her hair splayed across the pillow, her chest gently rising and falling with each slow breath.

Harry took another breath and whispered a _tempus_ charm. It was just after six. Harry sighed. He wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight—or rather, this morning. He sighed once more and quietly got out of bed.

After a quick shower and dressing in dark trousers and a button-down shirt, Harry felt a little more like himself. But the nightmare lingered in the back of his mind. Lack of a proper night's sleep made him queasy, and even after the hot shower his face was still pale. Dark circles ringed his eyes and if it weren't for his metamorphmagus abilities he would look downright sickly. As it was, he wasn't adept enough yet to make all the evidence disappear.

After a good two hours spent reading and trying to distract himself, Tonks finally began to stir. Harry mostly ignored her as she went about her morning routine bleary-eyed. She tripped over her trunk twice, slipped on a discarded shirt, and banged her shin against the table leg before her eyes were fully open. Then she glowered at Harry's faint smirk and finished getting ready. She only dropped three things, and thankfully none of them were breakable.

"You know, I get the sense that you're nervous, somehow," Harry observed dryly.

"Shut it. Like you're not."

He was; his stomach was twisting into tighter and tighter knots as the hour drew nearer for them to leave. Just the thought of boarding the Express, usually cause for excitement, filled Harry with dread. He was glad he'd packed last night; it gave him one less thing to worry about. Of course, the way Tonks was scrambling about gathering her belongings didn't help—her anxiety made him nervous. And her hair would not settle on a single color. It flickered through every color of the rainbow and then some before Harry finally intervened.

"Relax, _Joselyn_!" he snapped. "Or we'll miss breakfast _and_ the train."

Tonks blinked in surprise. The alias seemed to bring her back to her senses. "Right. Harrison," she tried to wink and pass off her nerves but didn't quite manage it. Either way, she started packing a little more thoughtfully and eventually managed to stuff everything into her trunk.

"Okay. Let's go," she announced at half past nine, dusting her hands on her black jeans. Harry rolled his eyes as she checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. Then she straightened her Pink Floyd t-shirt and fixed her hair from orange and waist-length to a black pixie cut with blue streaks. When Harry raised an eyebrow, she just shrugged.

"It adds character. Why don't you try it?"

"I would, except we're supposed to _not_ draw attention to ourselves," Harry groused. "And if you leave it like that, you'll want to change it every day."

"So? I'll just say I like playing with color-changing charms and human transfiguration."

Harry gave a longsuffering sigh. "Fine. Do it your way. But don't expect me to join in."

Tonks pouted. "Spoilsport." But she led the way out of their rooms and down the stairs to the bar.

"Off t' Hogwarts, then?" Tom asked as the pair emerged from the stairwell dragging their trunks.

"Yep," Tonks answered cheerfully. Harry nodded; he wasn't in the mood to even pretend to be as chipper as his companion. But he did give the old barkeep a smile of gratitude.

"Thanks for everything," he said.

Tom smiled back. "Keep in touch, then, lad. I'll be missin' yer helpin' hands 'round here. And keep yer sister in line, will ya?"

"I will," Harry promised with an almost-genuine grin.

"Oy!" Tonks protested. Harry shrugged, raising an eyebrow. Then he waved at the old barkeep, and led the way out of the Leaky Cauldron. Tonks took his arm and, with a wink, she brought him by side-along apparation to Kings' Cross Station.


	3. Back to Hogwarts

**Chapter 2 Back to Hogwarts**

When they arrived on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, it was just gone ten o'clock in the morning. There were only a few families so far, most of them families with first years. The scarlet steam engine was as impressive as ever and a little of Harry's anxiety lifted as they headed toward it. No matter what time period he was in, Hogwarts would always be his home.

Suddenly there was a _crash_ and he went tumbling forward. He banged his head on the lid of his trunk. There was a yelp, then Harry landed in a heap on something soft.

"Oof," Harry grunted. Then something shoved him from below.

"Oy! Get off!"

Startled, Harry rolled away, blinking. It seemed he'd collided with another student's trolley. The boy, already in his school robes, was sprawled across the pavement, and somehow Harry had landed on him. Their trolleys and trunks were on their sides, and Harry's satchel had fallen open, spilling books and parchment onto the ground.

"Sorry," Harry grunted, getting to his feet. He offered a hand to the other boy.

"Watch where you're going, you great buffoon," he grumbled. But he accepted Harry's assistance. "You've gone and dirtied my new robes," he snapped, brushing fruitlessly at the dust and grit sticking to the fabric once he was on his feet. "Mother and Father won't be pleased," he muttered, but there was a strange note to his voice beneath the anger.

"I'm sorry," Harry repeated with more sincerity. He tried to ignore Tonks's snickering in the background and the embarrassed flush rising to his cheeks. "I can clean them if you want," he offered.

The boy grunted, which Harry took as permission. He waved his wand and the dust vanished from his robes—which Harry only now noticed were of excellent quality, though the cut was simple. There was also a Slytherin crest over the right breast, right below a shiny prefect badge. Harry tried not to cringe—the last thing he needed was to offend a Slytherin, and a prefect no less.

"I'm Harrison Carter, by the way," Harry offered, trying to smooth the whole thing over as simply and quickly as possible.

"Regulus Black," the boy replied formally. Harry did a double-take, and sure enough, he found himself facing a familiar face. The boy—Regulus—had a sharper nose and far neater hair, and blue eyes instead of grey. But the resemblance to Harry's godfather was uncanny. He did his best to quell the sudden ache in his chest.

"And I'm Joselyn Carter," Tonks said, elbowing her way over with a grin. "Twin sister to the buffoon."

Harry gritted his teeth but refrained from retaliating.

Regulus inclined his head politely but made no move to shake hands. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Then he turned a shrewd look on the pair of them. "I don't believe I've ever seen you before."

"Naturally. We're transfer students," Tonks replied casually. Harry was starting to feel stifled by the airs Regulus was putting on, and quite unconsciously it seemed.

"Ah." Regulus nodded. "Do you have a House preference?"

Tonks and Harry exchanged a glance, but in the end, they both shrugged. "We don't know enough to make a choice yet," Harry hedged. "I would be okay with anywhere, though," he added. He was surprised to find he meant it. He didn't have anything against Slytherins, per say. Just the Slytherins in his year back in 1996, and Death Eaters (who, frankly, _were_ mostly former Slytherins). Here it might be different, and Harry wouldn't mind getting to know more people from other houses.

"I suppose I'll see you around, then," Regulus said. "I'm a fifth year," he added with a hint of hopefulness.

"We're sixth years," Tonks said with quite a bit more tact than Harry would have expected. "But we'll keep in touch, our Houses notwithstanding."

That seemed to please Regulus. He nodded to the pair of them, then he righted his trolley and continued toward the train. Harry and Tonks exchanged a glance then followed him.

Presently they found an empty compartment toward the back of the train. With the help of a few levitation charms, they lifted their trunks onto the overhead rack and took their seats. Harry, who by now was a little bruised as well as exhausted, leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes, hoping to sleep at least part of the journey. He also tried to ignore the gnawing anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he'd get lucky and he wouldn't come across his father and his friends until the Welcome Feast.

He was jolted out of partial unconsciousness by a hard poke in the side. He cracked one eye open and glared at the perpetrator—his "sister" Tonks, grinning mischievously.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to take a nap," he grumbled.

"Sorry," she said insincerely. "You gonna be okay?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I'd be better if you'd let me take a nap." At least if he was asleep, he wouldn't have to deal with the anxious nausea churning his stomach.

"You remember our story?"

"Of course I do, _Joselyn_ ," Harry groused. "Don't _you_?"

"Shut up, _Harrison_ ," Tonks retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. There was a loud scraping noise that Harry ignored.

"Gladly. Now if only you'd do the same."

"Is that any way—"

"Um…are we interrupting something?"

Harry's stomach dropped at the familiar voice and bile rose in his throat.

"Nothing at all," Tonks said cheerfully, switching gears as easily as blinking. "Just a friendly squabble between siblings."

"Can we sit here? Only everywhere else is full."

"Sure," Tonks agreed, just as the train jolted forward. Harry's head, still leaned against the window, banged painfully against the pane. He also had to clench his jaw to keep his stomach where it belonged.

"Much obliged." There was more scraping and shuffling, then four light _thuds_.

"So…who are you?"

Harry hadn't known his stomach could drop lower, but it did. _That_ particular voice he only knew from his nightmares. He kept his eyes firmly shut and his teeth clenched. He'd pretend to be asleep and play it all off. Nothing to worry about.

"—ter, at your service," Tonks finished, and Harry could _hear_ the smirk on her face.

"James Potter, at yours."

"I'm Sirius Black. _Very_ pleased to meet you."

There was a choked sound that could have been laughter or a gag. Then there was a light _thud_ and an indignant protest.

"I'm Remus Lupin. Sorry about this one."

"And I'm Peter Pettigrew."

There was a chorus of "nice to meet you's", then, "So…who's the grump in the corner who looks exactly like you?"

An _oof_ and a hissed, "Be nice, Padfoot!"

"Nah, he doesn't mind. That's Harrison, who, unfortunately, happens to be my twin brother."

"No need to sound so enthused," Harry grumbled. "I've been saddled with you, too."

"Ah, it's all in good fun. After all, this was _your_ idea."

" _What_ was?" Harry retorted, lifting his head to glare at her. "Because if you're referring to _this_ , Jos—" Harry cut himself off and swallowed hard—he'd unwisely turned toward the group of boys sharing their compartment to gesture at them, and the familiar yet unfamiliar faces swam before his eyes.

"Never agreed to this," he grumbled, then he left the compartment as quickly and politely as possible.

Harry immediately headed toward the very back of the train. A narrow platform surrounded by a railing protruded from the last car; he went to it and leaned over it, choking and heaving, eyes streaming. The rushing air stung his cheeks. His stomach was still churning and his head spun. Too dizzy to keep his feet, Harry sank to the ground and put his head between his knees. He took deep, deliberate breaths, trying to calm himself.

 _They're alive. They're alive. It hasn't happened yet._ None _of it had happened yet._ But that didn't change _his_ reality. Harry had watched two of them die and one turn on his friends, and the last slowly waste away in loneliness. It was unnerving to see them all so young and carefree, and with _no clue_ how important each of them were in his life, in their own way. It _hurt_ , like a physical ache. And he was scared—scared he'd give himself away, scared they wouldn't like him, scared that he'd have to watch it all happen _again_ if he didn't find a way to change it.

"It's okay, kid. Deep breaths."

Harry hadn't realized he was hyperventilating until he heard Tonks's voice, felt her hand gently rubbing his back. His chest hurt from the short, sharp breaths and he tried to take her advice. He couldn't quite manage to take deep breaths, but he matched his breathing to hers.

"How'd you know where to find me?" Harry asked when he could breathe semi-normally again.

Tonks smiled a little. "There aren't any empty compartments and I didn't think you'd hang out in the loo or the middle of the corridor. So that left only one option."

"You're not mad?"

Tonks laughed. "Hardly. We were just bantering, and I have no reason to be mad at you for reacting the way you did, all things considered." Then she turned a playfully scolding finger on him. "I do wish you'd been a little more subtle about it, but," Tonks shrugged, "what do I know about subtlety?"

Harry managed a short laugh but he didn't reply.

"By the way," Tonks said after a moment, "you might want to stop in the loo before we go back to the compartment."

Harry nodded and got to his feet, only just realizing his cheeks were stiff with saltwater. He scrubbed at his face with his cuff and turned away, biting his lip. "What's the excuse?"

"You got motion sick and needed some fresh air, and I'm the worrywart who had to come after you to make sure you were okay," Tonks said with a grin. "So you now have an excuse to be grumpy and irritable the rest of the ride."

"Good. Because that's pathetic. Couldn't you think of anything better?"

Tonks bumped his shoulder. "Nope. I'm no good with short notice excuses. Ready to go?"

Harry nodded, determined to play off his discomfort with humor and a bit of sarcasm. There was absolutely no reason to let on how messy his emotions were at the moment. He stopped in the loo like Tonks had suggested and washed his face. He also made sure his morph was in place—chin-length black hair pulled back with a leather thong, angular features, and grey-green eyes. He nodded once to himself in the mirror, then he took a deep breath.

Tonks led the way back to the compartment, though it wasn't far. Just outside, Harry glanced at his surrogate sister, just as she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Thanks," he said quietly. Then he shoved the door open.

"And they're back!" James announced as they resumed their seats.

"He does look a bit peaky," Sirius observed, to nods from James and Peter. Remus had his nose buried in a book, but he looked up at their entrance and offered a smile.

"And 'he' would appreciate being addressed directly," Harry said with real irritation. He had no wish to draw attention to himself.

"You really are a grouch," Sirius said obligingly.

"I also happen to know some good jinxes. So you would do well to not _truly_ make me angry," Harry said conversationally. _Play it off_ , he told himself desperately. _Play it off. And act like them._

There was a sudden snort of amusement. "Harrison, I think we'll get along just fine." Remus smiled at Harry, then smirked at his friends, who suddenly looked nervous. His hazel eyes lit up mischievously, and Harry suddenly saw Moony the Marauder, not Remus Lupin, DADA professor (albeit much younger). He couldn't help an answering smirk spreading across his face.

Tonks cleared her throat loudly, and Harry glanced over just in time to see pink spots fading from her cheeks. His smirk grew wider, and Sirius and James moved closer together as though bracing against a storm. Peter glanced between the two groups, then suddenly burst out laughing.

After a moment of confusion, Tonks joined in. Then Remus, and Harry even chuckled a little. James and Sirius locked eyes, both their lips twitching. Sirius cracked first, bursting into a full-blown belly laugh that set James off and redoubled the others' laughter.

The ice broken, conversation flowed naturally. Harry was _almost_ able to forget the knot in his stomach. And he found that if he didn't think too hard or look at any one of them too long, he was okay. But the knowledge of each of their fates still lingered in the back of his mind, all the way to Hogsmeade Station.

Finally, just as the lamps on the train flickered on one by one, the castle came into view, just a few lit towers on the darkening horizon. There was a mad rush to disembark from the Hogwarts Express. Harry finished pulling on his school robes that still did not have a house crest on them, then joined the throng. Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus had gone on ahead, so it was just Harry and Tonks who found a carriage together.

Harry swallowed hard and looked away from the thestrals pulling the carriages. Tonks, seeing where he was looking, smiled sadly and squeezed his shoulder. Then she patted the nearest one on the nose, cooing at it like it was an especially cute kitten or something. Harry couldn't help a smile, and the reassurance that she could see them, too, was exactly what he needed.

Then they mounted the carriage and Harry allowed himself to let his guard down a little. He deliberately sat close enough to Tonks that his shoulder pressed against hers and leaned against her slightly. Maybe they weren't related by blood, and maybe they'd only _really_ known each other a few months, but she was by far the first person he wanted with him in this mess he'd gotten them into, and Tonks was more family than his real blood relations had ever been. He was glad she was there.

Moments later the castle came into view, torchlight flickering from its many windows. The sight of the imposing yet familiar structure sent a wave of nostalgia over Harry. No matter the time period, Hogwarts would always be his home.

Tonks and Harry joined the rest of the students filing up toward the castle, but instead of heading into the Great Hall, they lingered in the Entrance Hall to await the first years, as per Dumbledore's instructions. They'd be sorted after the first years and then join whichever house the Sorting Hat sent them to.

In the moments before the first years arrived, Harry's stomach knotted tighter and tighter. He felt sick. When the great oak doors opened onto the Hall, his heart stopped and then jump-started on double time. Nervously he ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it out of its tie and effectively negating the minimal effort he'd put into styling it. Tonks wasn't much better off, her hair flickering through every color of the rainbow like a badly tuned telly as she twisted her fingers together.

When the first years started filing in, awe written all over their pale faces, Harry took a deep, shuddering breath. He used the limited Occlumency he'd learned over the summer to smooth his expression and bury his nerves, then he put a hand on Tonks's arm. She looked up in surprise, then she gave him the approximation of a smile. As she nodded gratefully, her hair faded back to normal—well, normal but for the fact that it was black, rather than bubblegum pink. Then they were swallowed up in the tide of tiny, terrified first years.

After Professor McGonagall—who looked the same as always, though with perhaps a few less gray hairs—gave her introduction (virtually the same one Harry had received in his first year), Harry and Tonks followed the group of first years into the Great Hall, feeling very out of place nearly two heads taller than even the tallest of the younger students.

A sudden hush fell over the crowd inside the Great Hall as the first years entered, followed by Harry and Tonks. Nearly every eye in the Hall was turned on them—two oddities in what was normally an unremarkable group. Tonks had gone rather pale and Harry swallowed hard in an attempt to keep his stomach where it belonged. Sure, he was used to being the center of attention, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. Tonks was starting to turn green, and it had nothing to do with her metamorphmagus abilities. Taking a calming breath himself, Harry brushed his hand against her arm in reassurance. She glanced over, then squared her shoulders and smoothed her expression.

Harry all but tuned out the Sorting Hat's song and the majority of the sorting of the new first years. Instead, he scanned the Great Hall for familiar faces. He spotted Regulus at the Slytherin table and offered a slight smile and a nod when he caught the younger boy's eye. Regulus gave him a nearly imperceptible nod in return. A few other Slytherin faces seemed familiar, probably relations to those he knew in his own time. He also spotted Severus Snape, but only from the back—the scrawny, pale boy was only recognizable by the longish, lank, greasy black hair. At the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, Harry only vaguely recognized one or two, once again likely relations to his classmates in the future. Then at the Gryffindor table he found several familiar faces, much younger now than he knew them. An invisible fist squeezed at his insides as his eyes found the Marauders, sitting together and laughing. It only squeezed tighter when he spotted the distinctive auburn hair of Lily Potter—currently Evans.

Finally, the last first year was sorted and it was just Harry and Tonks in front of the entire school. Harry only just realized that the tables seemed much fuller now than they had ever been during his time at Hogwarts. And every eye was on him, or Tonks, even though Dumbledore had stood up.

"Thank you for your attention, everyone, and congratulations to all our new first years. Now, as you may have noticed, we have some older students joining us as well. They are transferring to Hogwarts after being homeschooled and they will now be Sorted." Then Dumbledore nodded to McGonagall and sat down. McGonagall opened the scroll of names she had been reading from before.

"Carter, Harrison," she announced. Harry stepped forward, hoping no one noticed that his legs suddenly felt like jelly.

 _Well, well, well. Mr. Potter._ Harry jerked in surprise and he swore he heard a chuckle in his ear. _Never fear. All I find in your head will stay there. I've sorted you before—or at least I will. You've changed since the last time._

 _Just put me in a house_ , Harry pleaded. _And please, don't tell anyone I'm from the future!_

 _Of course not_ , the hat scoffed. _Honestly. Everything I discover during the Sorting is completely confidential, even from the Headmaster or Headmistress. Now, let's see…where to place you…_

There was a long pause as the hat hmm'ed and hah'ed over what he found. It was so quiet one could hear a quill drop.

 _Hmm, what a conundrum. You'd make a nice fit for any of the houses now, I daresay. Especially Ravenclaw, even if your drive to learn_ is _a little self-serving. Slytherin might be a better fit._

Harry's heart skipped a beat— _surely_ the hat wouldn't place him there! —but then he remembered what he'd told Regulus on the platform that morning and wondered at all the things he could possibly change.

 _No, no. It's a great ambition, to be sure, but utterly reckless. So completely ridiculous that only someone like you could pull it off. So, better be_ "Gryffindor!" the hat shouted. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. _You must come visit me some time, Mr. Potter. Your mind is quite fascinating_ , it whispered as Harry removed the hat and handed it back to Professor McGonagall. Then, an involuntarily smile spreading across his face, he made his way toward the cheering Gryffindor table.

"Carter, Joselyn!" McGonagall called as Harry took a seat beside Remus. James and Sirius clapped him painfully on the back, but Harry's focus was now centered entirely on Tonks.

His stomach clenched again in nerves on his surrogate sister's behalf and he watched anxiously as the hat was lowered over her head. Her hands tightened on the stool after a few seconds, then suddenly all the color drained from her face and she shook her head frantically. Another long, agonizing minute passed, then suddenly: "Gryffindor!"

Color flooded back into her face and Tonks sighed heavily as she handed back the hat and joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. He immediately got to his feet and hugged her in congratulations. Then they both sat down amidst further cheers (and wolf-whistles from Sirius that threatened to get him hexed).

Moments later, Dumbledore announced the start of dinner. A huge weight lifted off Harry's shoulders—he and Tonks were both in Gryffindor, he was back at Hogwarts, and for the time being he was content.

When the Welcoming Feast ended, Harry and Tonks joined the crowd heading for Gryffindor Tower. Harry tried not to look too confident as he traced the familiar path. Tonks was fascinated at the prospect of learning where another House common room was. With the attention she gave to each turn and significant landmark, Harry wouldn't be surprised if she memorized the path after a day.

The portrait hole opened to the password _cour de leon_ and Harry led the way inside, his heart lifting as he took in the familiar scenery. All around the common room—which looked identical to the one Harry knew in his own time, huge red stuffed chairs and all—friends were greeting each other after a summer apart and first years were looking around in wonder and forming burgeoning friendships. Harry couldn't help but remember his own housemates, and if they were also returning to Hogwarts and wondering where he was.

Harry was suddenly aware that he was surrounded by strangers. Even the faces he thought he recognized were different people to those he knew in the future. A new weight settled in his stomach—the weight of loneliness. Did his housemates even notice he was missing? Did they even care?

"Oy, buck up, kid!" Tonks's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. And reminded him that he wasn't _totally_ surrounded by strangers. "You look like you're contemplating your own funeral, not seeing Gryffindor Tower for the first time." She put particular emphasis on the last phrase, and Harry sheepishly adopted a more appropriate expression of wonder and amazement. "Not to mention your dorm mates seem eager to meet you," she added conversationally.

"Do they?" Harry glanced over toward the fire, where his father and his friends were gathered, their heads together. At first Harry thought they must be planning a prank. Then Sirius glanced up and caught his eye. He grinned broadly and nudged James beside him. James echoed Sirius's blinding grin and beckoned to Harry. Remus and Peter offered welcoming smiles as well. Harry's stomach tightened and his faint smile turned fixed.

"Go on," Tonks said, giving Harry a gentle push in their direction.

"You, too," Harry said, pushing her back and nodding toward the sixth year girls, who he only recognized by the one figure with fiery auburn hair. "Get to know her for me," he added softly; he didn't have the courage to approach her on his own.

Tonks gave him a soft smile. "For now," she said. "Now go!" She gave him another, more insistent push. Harry stumbled a little and paused to glare back at her (though he didn't entirely mean it). Then he headed for the group, though not without some trepidation.

"We don't bite, promise," James quipped as Harry approached. Harry tried not to grimace; apparently, he'd been less successful at hiding his nerves than he'd thought.

"Well, except for— _oof_." Remus elbowed Peter in the ribs, his face going pale.

"Sirius, I was going to say!" Peter exclaimed. " _Sirius_ bites—bites—"

James shook his head pityingly. "Just give it up, Pete."

Peter smiled apologetically, though Remus still looked rather pale. Harry raised a quizzical eyebrow, pretending not to know what Peter had almost said. It was probably a common joke among them and Peter hadn't realized it shouldn't be said in other company.

"So…I should steer clear of Sirius?" Harry asked, setting for a mildly confused look and trying to ignore the way his heart clenched at speaking his godfather's name aloud.

"Only when he's hungry," James said, covering Peter's slip neatly.

Remus cleared his throat. "Anyway," he began, "we figured we could get to know our new dorm mate. Before _someone_ scares him off." Remus gave Sirius a sharp look.

Sirius dropped his wand immediately and assumed the most (un)convincing look of innocence he could muster. "Just a bit of fun, Mo-Remus!"

"At least he hasn't hexed the first years yet," Peter offered in defense of his friend.

"That's tomorrow," Sirius said cheerfully. "I just wanted to give our new dorm mate a proper welcome."

"What did he do?" Harry asked with false calm. He was starting to get irritated.

"Nothing, yet," Sirius said with a pout. "Damn Remus and his third eye," he muttered. "And I'd just come up with a good one, too."

"If you bite, I'll bite back," Harry said warningly. "And I bite harder." It was becoming easier and easier to separate Sirius Black, godfather and Azkaban escapee, from Padfoot, Marauder. He'd had no idea Sirius could be so insufferable. "However," Harry began, "I don't want to start a war. We _do_ have to live with each other for the indefinite future. But consider this fair warning."

"Warning duly noted," Sirius said solemnly. He even went so far as to raise his right hand as though he were swearing a vow.

"And promptly forgotten," James said mournfully, shaking his head. "I suppose we'd all better brace ourselves for the storm."

Remus sighed. "Sorry about this. I do _try_ to keep them in line, but…" he shrugged helplessly. For the first time, Harry noticed the prefect badge pinned to the front of his—admittedly shabby—robes.

"You're a prefect?" Harry asked in surprise.

"He's the only one who could be trusted not to abuse it," Sirius said, his eyes glinting.

"And we can all just imagine the mayhem _you_ would cause if you had that badge," Harry muttered. Sirius made a sound that was half surprise, half protest.

James laughed heartily and slapped Harry on the shoulder. "Oh, you'll fit right in," he chortled.

"Anyway," Remus cut in, "you probably know more than you ever wanted to know about us. But what about you?"

"What about me?" Harry asked, suddenly nervous. He hated personal questions.

"Tell us about yourself," James said eagerly.

"Where you came from," Peter cut in with a smile.

"What you're doing here," Sirius added.

"What Quidditch team you follow," James was earnest.

"And what classes you're taking," Remus finished with a grin, effectively cutting off whatever smart comment Sirius was about to make.

"Remus!" Sirius protested, drawing out the syllables.

"Let him answer," Remus replied calmly. "Right now is about him."

"Er…" Harry trailed off, uncomfortable. He hated being the center of attention, even in small groups, and now Remus was putting him on the spot.

"Start with the last question first," Peter suggested. "And work your way backward."

"O-kay." Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, and Charms, plus Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as electives."

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "Eew, he's a nerd like you, Moony." Remus elbowed him hard, making him grunt. "Ow," Sirius muttered.

"Same, except I'm in History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures, instead of Arithmancy and Runes," Peter put in with a smile.

"Same, minus Herbology," James added, wrinkling his nose. "I'm in Astronomy instead."

"Same," Remus put in with a faint smile. "Plus History of Magic.

"And I'm in the same as Peter, except Muggle Studies instead of History of Magic," Sirius said resignedly. "Can we talk about something interesting now? Like Quidditch?"

"Well, I do play. But I haven't really been following any specific teams," Harry offered. There were twin exclamations of shock and dismay from Sirius and James, and then the two of them tripped over themselves extolling the virtues of the Tutshill Tornadoes and Puddlemere United. That quickly dissolved into a lively debate over which team was better.

Blessedly, the topic of Quidditch carried them for the next hour, by which time Harry was mentally and emotionally exhausted and was able to beg off answering the more prying questions and go to bed. It had been such a long and draining day that Harry was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.


	4. It Begins

Edited 11/15/17

 **Chapter 3 It Begins**

Classes began the very next day. The morning would be Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, then Ancient Runes. After lunch, Harry had Herbology followed by a double Potions period. Ordinarily, Harry would have groaned at the thought of two hours in the dungeons with Professor Snape. But this time, Harry found himself looking forward to it. He truly enjoyed Potions—when the dungeon bat wasn't breathing down his neck—and he was eager to apply the skills he'd learned over the summer in a real classroom setting and see where they got him.

The Defense professor was an auror. From what Harry had heard so far, Dumbledore had an agreement with the auror force that they'd rotate out one active auror for a year to teach DADA—though in the case of an emergency, said auror was still a part of the force and would be pulled from the school to meet whatever threat there may be. This year, the professor was a tall man with dark hair and a scar on his cheek. His very posture and bearing was testament to his dueling prowess and skill. He was a seasoned auror for certain, and one who wouldn't tolerate any nonsense in his classroom.

A decent percentage of sixth years from across all houses filled the class. Some of them seemed eager to learn and looked like they were taking the threat of war seriously—because there _was_ a war brewing. Evidence of it was splashed across the pages of the _Daily Prophet_. And Harry would be a long time forgetting the attack on Diagon Alley while he and Tonks had been staying there for the last month of summer.

Harry sat with Tonks in the third row. James and Sirius took the table beside him, and Remus and Peter sat behind them. Lily sat in front of James with one of her roommates. James looked pleased at her choice of seating. Across the aisle, a smattering of Slytherins and Ravenclaws mingled with some wariness while the Hufflepuffs claimed the seats left over. Harry was slightly taken aback when he recognized the teenaged Snape in the middle of row across the aisle. The seat beside him remained empty, even though there were still students entering the classroom. He alternated between thumbing through his textbook and glancing toward Lily with an unreadable expression. Harry suddenly remembered the scene he'd witnessed in his future professor's pensieve during that disastrous Occlumency lesson and his gut twisted in a strange combination of anger, guilt, and pity.

Before Harry could give it any more thought, though, the auror—professor—began class abruptly. "I am Auror Simeon Dean. You will call me Professor Dean. I'm here to teach you what's out there, from petty disagreements to the Dark Arts themselves, and _how to defend yourself_. There is a war going on. Not a single one of you will remain untouched by the time it is over." Professor Dean let his eyes rest on every single student before continuing. A few shuddered as his gaze fell on them.

"You will lose friends, acquaintances, even family members, and if you do not take this class seriously, you may very well lose your very life. I will not tolerate _any_ tomfoolery in my classroom. Disrespect and misbehavior will be punished severely. Some of you are aiming to be aurors. These standards apply in the auror corps as well. You _must_ understand how serious this is. If I have to give you more than two severe warnings, you _will_ be kicked out of my class, and Merlin help you when you find yourself facing down the wrong end of a wand."

Harry could have heard a quill drop. The entire class was silent, many of them only just beginning to realize what was at stake. Harry glanced at the Slytherin students. There were less than ten of them, Snape included, but among them were three Harry knew to be future Death Eaters—Nott, Goyle, and Avery. He recognized the former two by their resemblance to their future sons, and the last from their encounter in the Department of Mysteries. All three had very serious expressions on their faces, but Avery's lips were twitching in a menacing way, and Nott was far too relaxed. He wondered just how far down that road they'd gone, being only sixth years. Harry made a mental not to stay out of their way and off their bad side.

After a long moment, Professor Dean broke the silence. "I'm assuming you all remember everything from your OWLs, because I will not waste time reviewing what you should have already learned. Today we will start directly into the sixth year curriculum with nonverbal casting. It is one of your biggest advantages in a duel, as your opponent will have no idea what spell you're using until it leaves your wand. Nonverbal casting takes a great deal of concentration…"

And so the lesson began. The lecture went fairly well, though it was a bit dry—the bare facts, with no embellishment or entertainment value. Harry had trouble paying attention, as he already knew how to cast silently—he and Tonks had reviewed it extensively over the summer, before and after arriving in 1976. The practice would be worth it though.

The last fifteen minutes were left for application. Professor Dean instructed them to practice casting first- and second-year spells nonverbally, and scolded any students who tried to cheat by whispering the spell. About a quarter of the class had managed it at least once by the end. Snape got it right away, as did Lily. James and Sirius were pranking each other silently, their lips all but glued shut to prove they weren't cheating. Lily scolded them several times for their antics. James nodded shamefacedly—then turned around and turned Sirius's hair pink again.

Remus also caught on quickly, and was helping Peter through it. He hadn't quite managed it by the end of class. Professor Dean dismissed them with two feet of parchment on the advantages—and disadvantages—of nonverbal casting in a duel and said they'd continue practicing next class.

Transfiguration was everything Harry expected it to be. Professor McGonagall was the same as she was in his time, though with a few less gray hairs. She spent most of the class lecturing about the importance of the NEWT examinations and outlining again her basic expectations.

"I've said it every year, and I'll say it now: anyone caught fooling around in my class _will_ be kicked out, and you will _not_ be readmitted—this class is no longer mandatory, and as such, it is _your_ choice whether you stay or go. However, I expect every ounce of your concentration and dedication during class," she finished, eying each of the Marauders specifically. They all assumed perfectly innocent expressions, as though it was unfathomable to even _consider_ they might be capable of said mischief.

The last twenty minutes of class were spent in review of material from the previous year. It quickly became obvious who had just barely made it into the class and who had aced their Transfiguration OWL. Even Peter, whom Harry had always assumed was a bit of a dune, performed well. He supposed having tutors as proficient as James and Sirius (who were lazily showing off Transfiguration already well into the first term) had an impact after five years. Becoming an Animagus had probably helped, too.

After Transfiguration, Harry had his first Ancient Runes class. He was excited to learn from an actual teacher, rather than a book. Tonks, James, and Remus joined him, as did a smattering of other students across the houses. It appeared Ancient Runes wasn't a very popular class to take after OWL year. There were only about fifteen students in the entire class across all houses. After the first half-hour, Harry found himself wondering why James had bothered to take this class in the first place. Then he realized where James's attention was truly focused and he had to stifle a laugh—his eyes never left the back of Lily's head, who sat two rows ahead and slightly to his right.

As the class period continued and Professor Babbling moved into a discussion of the runes from other languages outside of the Indo-European languages such as Anglo Saxon and Norse, it became clear that, despite appearances, James did have an understanding of the material. Remus contributed, as well, and with enthusiasm. And while the discussion was interesting, Harry was a little disappointed to find himself rather bored. Even in the few classes he'd had so far, it was becoming increasingly clear that Harry was ahead of the curriculum.

He lamented this to Tonks during lunch. She laughed at him and said it was his own fault for being an over-eager student during the summer. "Maybe that will teach you to spend your vacation studying," she teased him. Harry, very maturely, stuck his tongue out at her and turned back to his meal.

After lunch was Herbology. Harry hadn't really thought the subject worth continuing, but after finally coming to understand the role of each plant in potions, he figured he might as well learn more. As it turned out, he shared the class with both Peter _and_ Sirius. He had expected Peter, more or less—his demeanor sort of reminded Harry of Neville—but Sirius had been a surprise. What he knew of his godfather was that he only tried when he was interested, and Herbology had not been one of those things that interested him.

Professor Sprout—in her second or third year of teaching and far younger than Harry was used to seeing her—began the class with the typical lecture on NEWTs and a brief overview of what they'd be studying that year. Sirius was obviously bored, doodling on the end paper in his textbook.

"You should pay attention," Peter told him quietly. "What if she tests us on this?"

"Then I'll steal your notes, like always," Sirius replied idly, twirling his quill between his fingers.

"If you don't want to be here," Harry said with faint annoyance, "then why _are_ you here?"

Sirius made a face. "We—me, James, Remus, and Peter—made a promise back in third year that we'd never let each other take a class alone. When our OWLs came, I was the only one with a high enough grade to continue the class when Peter said he wanted to keep with it—besides Remus, that is, but he already had a full schedule. So, I got stuck with him."

Something flickered across Peter's face, so quickly that Harry almost missed it. Then he looked back at Sirius, just in time to see him to throw Peter a somewhat resentful look.

"If you made that promise to honor your friendship, don't you think you should try a little harder _not_ to make him feel guilty for dragging you along?" Harry stated bluntly. Peter half-gasped in surprise; Sirius's brow furrowed.

"Do you feel guilty?" he asked.

"Not at all," Peter replied—not with a nervous stammer, like Harry honestly expected—but with dry sarcasm. "Why would I feel guilty for making my friend take a class he obviously hates just to keep me company?"

"—oh." Sirius actually looked a little shamefaced. A long moment passed in silence. Then Sirius turned to Peter again and asked, "So, tell me again about biting hydrangeas?"

Peter snickered. "They're _fanged_ hydrangeas," he corrected with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm.

"Things with fangs bite, don't they? So they'd be biting hydrangeas anyway," Sirius retorted.

Peter, looking mildly offended, suddenly launched into a lengthy and surprisingly detailed explanation as to why they were called fanged and not biting, with Sirius interjecting several times with illogical counter-arguments and good humor.

As they bickered, Harry rolled his eyes. _Honestly, how did he even manage to make it into the NEWT Herbology course? Unless he's only pretending to be dense._ Harry then turned his attention to Professor Sprout's lecture, though he couldn't help hearing Sirius and Peter's debate in the background. He was surprised at how much Peter knew about herbology. Perhaps he was more like Neville than Harry had thought.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, though, there was a niggling voice that insisted _he's a traitor! One day, he's going to betray them in the worst possible way. Maybe he's already planning it._ But that didn't match with what Harry had seen so far. Maybe he wasn't the most charismatic or intelligent of the Marauders. But that didn't make him a jealous traitor. Perhaps he just appeared bumbling and dimwitted because he was paired with two unusually talented minds and an incurable scholar.

Before Harry knew it, Herbology was over and it was time to trek down to the dungeons for Potions—the class that, honestly, Harry was most looking forward to. Harry, Peter, and Sirius met with James and Remus and Tonks outside the classroom and they entered together.

Four different potions boiled in cauldrons lined up at the front of the classroom. To Harry's surprise, one of them was gold and bubbling merrily. From the slightly pink potion he caught the scents of cut grass, hot cocoa, and wood smoke—scents he associated with his Dursley-free summer with Tonks and future Remus and which made him smile. The other potion, which rather resembled grey sludge, Harry recognized with a half grimace and a slight smile—Polyjuice potion. The last was clear, looking just like water but for the faint silver smoke that rose from its surface.

Nearly the entire class was already present—from the greenhouses on the grounds to the dungeons was a long walk. Three of the four Gryffindor girls were sitting in the back left of the classroom, young Lily Evans with one roommate at one table and the other by herself at the table next to them. Harry didn't know her name, but the one sitting by herself beckoned to Tonks with enthusiasm. Tonks gave Harry a slightly apologetic half-shrug and went to sit by her.

Meanwhile, James and Sirius had paired up at a table toward the front right of the classroom, with Peter and Remus sitting in front of them. The rest of the classroom was populated with a mix of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, with a single Hufflepuff boy. And all the seats were taken save one—the seat beside young Severus Snape, in the second row in the front left.

He looked the same as his older counterpart, though he was shorter and his hair didn't quite reach his shoulders. But there was one glaring difference that Harry picked up on immediately. Instead of being having shoulders set in arrogance or defiance, a permanent sneer of contempt adorning his face, the young Snape's shoulders were hunched, his head bowed and face partially hidden by his curtain of greasy hair. His expression lacked the bitterness Harry was so familiar with from his own time. Instead, he just looked…lonely, especially sitting alone at a desk designed for two.

Harry took a deep breath, then crossed the invisible divide between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins and approached the empty seat.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Harry asked cautiously, ignoring Sirius's hissing to stay away and to join him and James.

The young Slytherin looked up in shock, then his face twisted into a grimace. "Don't you have any friends yet?" he asked mockingly. The question could have been asked with concern, but his tone was vicious. Harry gritted his teeth and chose to ignore it.

"Not yet. Besides, I've heard you're a wizard at potions, and I need all the help I can get," he said self-depreciatingly, smiling a little at his bad pun. He stubbornly ignored all his instincts screaming at him to get far away. And the whispers that filled the classroom.

Snape's grimace turned into a look of surprise, then his eyes narrowed as he searched for hidden motives and unspoken malice. Harry stood patiently, waiting for the answer and hoping he wasn't rejected—if only because there were no other open seats.

Finding nothing but sincerity in Harry's face, Snape nodded curtly and turned back to his potions textbook. Harry took the seat beside him and set up his cauldron, trying not to let Snape hear his sigh of relief.

Virtually at the same moment Harry took his seat, the door behind the teacher's desk suddenly opened. A rotund, smiling man dressed in fine robes entered the classroom. "Good afternoon, class!" he said enthusiastically.

"Good afternoon, Professor," a few students murmured in greeting.

"Jolly good to see you, Professor Slughorn!" Sirius chirped from his seat. "Had a good summer, did you?" Harry shut his eyes in embarrassment as chuckles fluttered through the classroom.

"Wonderful, wonderful, thank you, Mr. Black," Professor Slughorn replied absently. The man was the complete opposite of Professor Snape. The dungeon bat would have taken points for such a greeting, and probably found some way to sabotage the student's potion. Professor Slughorn waved it off and continued as though no interruption had occurred.

"Kits, books, and scales out, please," he said. There was some rustling and banging as supplies were retrieved and set up. "Now, then. I've prepared a sampling of potions I thought would interest you. You should all be able to make each one flawlessly by the time your NEWTs are over! You ought to have heard of them all. Can anyone tell me what this one is?" Slughorn indicated the cauldron full of slow-boiling mud.

Several hands went up, Harry's and Tonks's among them. Every Ravenclaw had their hand up, as did Snape's, Lily's, and, surprisingly, James's. Slughorn smiled happily at the response and pointed at one of the Ravenclaws.

"Polyjuice Potion, sir," the boy said confidently. "It can change your appearance to that of anyone in the world, but only for a limited time depending on the dosage."

"Excellent, Mr. Fenwick, excellent! Take five points for Ravenclaw. You want to beware this one. Never know who's really your friend when they can transform into anyone, especially in times like these. Now, how about this one?" The professor now pointed at the cauldron full of what looked like plain water.

Fewer hands went up this time, though Snape, Lily, and even James kept their hands up. Harry couldn't help but wonder how his father knew, when he himself couldn't for the life of him figure out what it could be, though it seemed familiar somehow.

"Mr. Potter," Slughorn said, pointing to James.

"It's Veritaserum. Colorless, odorless, and will leave you spilling your darkest secrets with barely a word," he said confidently. And suddenly Harry remembered why it seemed familiar. Back in his fourth year, Professor Snape had threatened to dose him with it to get him to admit he'd been stealing from his potions stores, when in fact it had been fake Mad-Eye Moody.

"Excellent. Five points to Gryffindor," Slughorn said jovially. "The truth serum. Very popular, but highly regulated, during criminal trials. Now, how about this one?" Slughorn indicated the one from which the pleasing smells were originating. This time only two Ravenclaws, plus Lily and Snape, raised their hands.

"Ms. Evans?"

"It's Amortentia, the world's most powerful love potion. It smells differently to each person according to what attracts us. Easily recognized by the characteristic spiraling steam," Lily said, a pleased look on her face.

"Exactly right, Miss Evans. Another five points to Gryffindor. Now, the thing to remember about this one," Slughorn began, "is that Amortentia does not and cannot create actual love, but rather a powerful obsession. Be wary."

"Maybe that's why James is obsessed with Evans—she's dosed him with Amortentia!" Sirius whispered loudly. James flushed and elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

"Or you did," Peter muttered teasingly, just loud enough for Harry to catch, and Remus chuckled.

"—this one is?" another student spoke, distracting Harry from his dormmates' bickering.

"Oho," Slughorn began dramatically, like he'd been waiting for this moment. "Yes, that. _That_ one, ladies and gentlemen, is a delightful little potion known as Felix Felicis. Does anyone—"

"It's liquid luck!" Lily blurted excitedly before Slughorn could call on her. Harry suppressed a smile; she was just like Hermione. A wave of nostalgia washed over him at that moment and he almost missed what she said next. "Just a mouthful gives you the luckiest day of your life!" The entire class was suddenly paying much closer attention.

"Exactly right, Miss Evans," Slughorn said, surprised. "Take ten points for Gryffindor. A funny little potion, Felix Felicis," he continued. "Incredibly tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, when brewed correctly, you find that all your endeavors tend to succeed until it wears off."

"Why wouldn't you take it every day, then?" the Hufflepuff boy asked.

"If taken in excess," Slughorn explained, "It causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence. Highly toxic in large quantities as well."

"Sounds like Potter," Snape muttered. Harry surprised himself by laughing. Snape gave him a surprised look.

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" Lily asked.

"Excellent question, Miss Evans. I have, in fact, twice. Once in my youth and once not too long ago. Two tablespoons taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." The professor's gaze glazed over slightly, seemingly lost in memory. "And that," he said solidly after a moment, "is what I offer as a prize at the end of this lesson."

Everyone went silent, eager to hear the terms. "One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis, just enough for 12 hours," he said, pulling a tiny, corked glass vial from his pocket to display. "From dawn until dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

Everyone traded excited looks, and even Snape looked interested. "However," Slughorn continued warningly, "I must tell you that Felix Felicis is banned in organized competitions—sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections." There was an audible groan from James and Sirius at the mention of Quidditch. "The winner is to use it on an ordinary day only…and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

A moment passed in silence. Then one of the Slytherins—Avery, Harry thought—spoke up in a condescending tone. "And how, pray tell, are we to _win_ it?"

"Why, by brewing a potion, of course! Everyone turn to page ten of _Advanced Potion Making_. We have just over an hour, which should be perfectly adequate to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. It is more complex than anything you've brewed before, so I do not expect perfection. However, this little bottle of Felix here will go to the best attempt. Off you go!"

Half the class immediately rose and made a mad dash for the store cupboard. Harry turned to Snape, who was organizing his supplies.

"I'm Harrison Carter, by the way," he said casually.

Snape looked up, shocked. Then he muttered, "Severus Snape." Then he headed for the store cupboard as the line went down. Harry shrugged, having expected much less than that, and went to retrieve his own ingredients.

Harry worked silently, adding ingredients methodically and exactly according to the instructions. The dungeon was already filling with multicolored steam and smoke from the students' various attempts. It was an independent project, but there was still murmured conversation throughout the classroom.

Harry glanced at his book, on which the recipe was displayed. Everything was going right. He looked at the next instruction: _Slice sopophorous bean into eighth-inch pieces to release juices; add to cauldron._ He tried—the small, shriveled bean resisted, even slipping out from under the knife. Once he even had to chase it under his desk. Red-faced and impatient, Harry slammed it down on the desk—only to feel it burst and juice ooze out over his fingers.

Shocked, Harry removed his hand to find it slightly flattened. Thoughtful, Harry studied his silver knife. Then he lowered the flat of the blade over the bean and crushed it.

The amount of liquid released surprised him. Harry hastily scooped it all into his cauldron, making sure not to lose any of it. The potion immediately turned the exact pale lilac color described by the text. Elated, Harry jotted down his discovery in the margin of his textbook—he wasn't going to try cutting one of those stupid beans again—and moved on to the next step.

According to the book, Harry was to stir counterclockwise in sets of seven until the potion turned clear, like water. Harry began to stir, being sure to count carefully. After the first seven stirs, it hadn't changed colors like the book said it should have—or at least, the change had been so subtle as to be irrelevant. He paused, thinking. Potions _was_ like cooking, if infinitely more precise. And in Harry's experience, stirring a mixture in the same direction for a long time would end up with a clump of burnt or unmixed substance at the bottom of the pan as ingredients settled. He wondered if the same was true for potions.

Cautiously, his wand in his right hand, poised to cast a shield charm, and the stirring rod in his left, Harry pulled the stirring rod clockwise. Instantly the potion lightened several shades. There was a gasp beside him.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Harry asked, confused. He'd never heard that kind of surprised and slightly envious tone in Snape's voice before.

"Make your potion look like that, obviously," Snape drawled, recovering his composure. Harry almost rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt to act composed.

"I added an extra clockwise stir after each set of seven counterclockwise, so the ingredients—"

"Don't settle," Snape finished, nodding at the logic. Harry nodded in confirmation. Snape furrowed his brow, his tongue sticking out a little in concentration. He counted seven, then he added the extra clockwise stir. Immediately its color lightened. Snape almost smiled, then he gave Harry a hesitant but sincere nod of gratitude for the hint.

Harry shrugged. "No problem." He jotted down the addition in his textbook, noting Snape doing the same, and continued the altered stirring pattern—it was the last step before the completion of the potion.

"And time's…up!" Slughorn announced just as Harry completed the last stir and his potion turned completely clear. Snape's beside him was still tinted pink—he hadn't had time to finish the stirring sequence. Regretfully, he removed the stirring rod from his cauldron where it bubbled lightly. The professor paced around the classroom, glancing into each student's cauldron, occasionally giving it a stir or a sniff. The Ravenclaws got approving nods, as did Lily. James looked sheepish as Slughorn prodded his potion with his wand and emerged coughing in a cloud of purple smoke. Sirius's potion was a congealed mess the color of liquid mercury. Then Slughorn reached Harry and Snape.

"Oho! Well done, boys, well done indeed. See here, not one of you managed to make your potions quite as perfect as these two. Mr. Snape seems to have run out of time, but it is all correct. Just a few more stirs and it would have been perfect. Twenty points to Slytherin, Mr. Snape. And Mr. Carter, you are our clear winner with your completed Draught of Living Death! One vial of Felix Felicis to you, Harrison," Slughorn said, presenting the luck potion to Harry with a flourish.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, ducking his head in embarrassed pleasure. He accepted the vial and tucked it carefully into a pocket of his robe. He was proud of himself, though. He'd never even been close to best in the class in Potions before.

"Use it well, Mr. Carter. I expect to see great things from you this year," Slughorn said, winking. Harry forced a smile. "Mr. Snape, go ahead and add those last few stirs and bottle up your potion for me."

"Yes, sir," Snape said. He seemed indifferent as he picked up his stirring rod again, but Harry noticed the faint flush of pride coloring his cheeks.

"Good job," Harry murmured, smiling. "You deserve it."

Snape glanced at him and _almost_ smiled.

Harry bottled up his Draught of Living Death for Slughorn, then washed his cauldron and utensils before putting them back in his potions kit. He finished packing up his things just as Snape finished his potion. He gave him an encouraging nod as he took the vial up to Slughorn. The other students were already leaving the classroom.

The moment Snape left his side, Sirius grabbed Harry's arm and all but dragged him out of the classroom. Harry barely had time to grab his bag.

"What the hell?" Harry demanded, yanking himself free. Sirius blinked in confusion.

"I was rescuing you, of course."

"From what?"

"From _Snivellus_." Sirius sneered the nickname. Harry gritted his teeth.

"For your information, it is not up to you to decide who I can be friends with," he said with measured patience and a note of warning in his voice.

"He's just worried about you, mate," James said uncomfortably.

"We've had…unpleasant encounters with him in the past," Remus explained.

Harry tried not to sigh. "Well, that happened to be the most decent and informative Potions lesson I've ever sat in. So forgive me for not seeing the problem."

"Just…be careful with him," Peter said. "He can get nasty if…" he trailed off uncomfortably.

"Let me guess—if you provoke him?" Harry said pointedly. They all nodded. "So can I. And if Sirius does something like that again without good reason, you _will_ see me get nasty."

With that, Harry turned his back on them and caught up to Tonks, who was waking ahead with her seat partner from Potions. He nodded to them in greeting but didn't speak. Instead, he bit the inside of his cheek and wondered why it hurt so much to walk away from them, when he technically didn't know them at all.


	5. A Taste of the Past

Edited 12/26/17

 **Chapter 4 A Taste of the Past**

That evening, Harry was sitting in the common room with Tonks when Lily came up to Harry out of the blue.

"Hi. Harrison, right?"

Harry nodded, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. His mouth was dry.

"I'm Lily Evans, prefect. Sorry it's taken me so long to introduce myself; it's been busy. If you have any questions, you can come to me."

"Thanks," Harry replied, hoping she didn't notice the slight hoarseness in his voice.

"I also wanted to say, I was impressed by what you did in Potions today," she continued.

Harry sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's nothing, really. I like to cook, and Potions is like coo—"

"I meant sitting beside Sev—Snape," she interrupted, as politely as one can interrupt. "He's not a pleasant person to be around, and almost nobody likes him."

"I saw an empty seat and I took it," Harry replied. "He seemed pleasant enough to me," he added with slight defensiveness. Sure, he was an absolute arse in the future, but he couldn't be that bad now, right? Why did everyone hate him?

"It's still a good thing to have done," she said with a note of finality. "By the way, these are my roommates," she said, motioning to the girls who had approached while they talked. "Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, and Alice Smith."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry said, nodding to each girl in turn.

It was nice to finally put names to faces. Marlene was tall with dark hair and a cheeky grin, and was the girl who'd sat by Tonks during Potions. Alice had been Lily's seat partner. She bore a remarkable resemblance to Neville, which told him she was to be the future Mrs. Longbottom. He tried not to think about her fate. Mary hadn't been in Potions, but he recognized her from Herbology. She had short, light brown hair and an infectious smile. She also blushed lightly when Harry nodded to her and smiled in greeting. He morphed away an answering flush and looked at Marlene, who had spoken.

"Same to you, Harrison," Marlene replied. The other two girls nodded in agreement.

"How do you like Hogwarts so far?" Alice asked casually.

"Er…" The girls' attention made him uncomfortable. Tonks was also grinning widely, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd set this up. He glared at her. "It's all right," Harry said in answer to Alice. "Sorry to bail so quickly, but I'd like to get started on some homework before it gets too late,"

"That's fine," Mary said, her voice pitched higher than usual. Harry nodded awkwardly and slipped away, making for the dormitory. He neatly evaded James's attempts to drag him into conversation and hurried up the stairs.

Harry dressed in his pajamas and went through his nighty routine, then he settled cross-legged in the middle of his bed and drew the hangings shut. He then closed his eyes and slipped into a trance-like state as he began his nightly Occlumency exercises.

Carefully he catalogued his memories from that day, as well as the information he'd learned in his classes that day, then went further back as he worked toward his earliest memories. By this point he'd gotten through all but his first year at Hogwarts, having started at the beginning of the summer (before the time-travel accident). His hope was to be done sorting his memories by Halloween at the latest and then start work on the second step: constructing a protective layer in his mind.

He ended his exercises for the night by cataloguing the troll incident his first Halloween at Hogwarts and then let the images fade and opened his eyes on the familiar dormitory, with unfamiliar dormmates. A faint wave of nostalgia slid over him as he remembered the friends he'd left behind as he lay down on his bed.

It was strange, he thought, lying in his normal bed after the first day of his sixth year, but twenty years in the past and having just spent the day being introduced to dead people. While he was glad he got the chance to get to know the people who should have been in his life all along, he was beginning to realize it wasn't all he'd imagined it would be. Sirius was a git, James was a prat, Remus was shy, and Harry had no idea what to think about Peter. He missed his friends from the future—Ron, Hermione, the rest of the Weasleys, the Remus of his time who had become a sort of father figure to him.

After a short while, his roommates' voices penetrated the quiet and darkness of the dorm. When he heard Sirius's voice, though, so similar and yet so different from what he knew, Harry felt an ache in his chest that would become a constant companion in the next few weeks and months as he remembered just how much he had lost. It hurt to be so close, and yet so far away. To them, he was just an interesting dorm mate and transfer student. To him, they were meant to be his family. But they had no idea.

Eventually, Harry drifted into an uneasy sleep, filled with flashes of the future and the people he missed the most.

Harry quickly fell into a routine. Classes, socializing and attempting to tolerate his dorm mates, homework, sleep, and repeat. Said dorm mates were trying very hard to tell him all the secrets a budding troublemaker should know about Hogwarts. They gave him a grand tour of the castle and caught him up on all the gossip. Harry tried not to show how much he already knew about the castle, but it was difficult when James and Sirius enthusiastically showed him a secret passage they'd only just discovered that Harry had found in his second year, and introduced him to some noteworthy portraits that had saved Harry from Filch the caretaker many times in his own years of sneaking around after curfew.

Harry had his first taste of Arithmancy bright and early on Monday morning. Tonks, James, and Remus shared the class with him. The coursework was just what he'd anticipated from his study over the summer and the material came easily. He also had his first Charms class of the year that same Monday. Flitwick was the same as always, excitable and enthusiastic. There was, however, an unusual emphasis on the use of charms in combat. It seemed the professors were taking the brewing war seriously, unlike in Harry's time. In the future, it was swept under the rug and ignored in hopes it would go away.

The most eventful day of the week was Wednesday, which happened to be the full moon. Remus had been looking sickly all day, culminating in his admittance to the Hospital Wing shortly before dinner after he'd nearly collapsed in the corridor, his skin chalk-white and clammy. It wasn't hard to show genuine concern for the other boy, but Harry had a hard time not making any comments that would in any way relate Remus's sickness to him being a werewolf. It was far too early in the term for Harry to even have suspicions. If he dared suggest it, the others would hex him into oblivion—after vehemently denying it until they were blue in the face.

By evening, Harry could tell the other three boys were on edge. Several times in the last few days he'd spotted them with their heads together, murmuring to each other—probably planning how they were going to sneak out past Harry. As the time drew nearer—Harry kept glancing reflexively out the window every few minutes, watching for the moon to rise—Harry felt his stomach clenching in anxiety for Remus. He also felt an unexpected wave of concern for Peter, Sirius, and James.

Over the summer, with help from Tonks, Harry had become an Animagus (his form was a red wolf with russet fur). Such was his determination that he managed it in just over two months. He'd spent one full moon with future-Remus just days before the accident that sent him and Tonks into the past. Even though he had been on wolfsbane at the time, Harry knew how rough the werewolf could get. And it would only be worse without the mediating effect of the potion. And though Harry didn't yet consider James and Sirius _friends_ , per say, he still worried about their well-being. He still wasn't sure what to think about Peter, but Harry worried about him by extension due to his connection to the others.

Right on time, someone (re: Sirius, James, and Peter) set off several dung bombs in the common room. In the ensuing commotion, no one noticed the three boys slip out under the invisibility cloak—except Harry, who was watching for them. Silently he wished them luck and half-wished he could go with them.

Taking advantage of the commotion, Harry headed upstairs. He took some time for his Occlumency, but even though he was tired, he couldn't bring himself to go to bed, not while he knew Remus was transformed without the aid of wolfsbane. It had only been three months since he'd become an Animagus, but he longed to be there for Remus—of all of them, young Remus was the only one Harry currently considered a good friend, and he hated the idea of him suffering through the transformation alone. Of course, Harry knew intellectually that he wasn't alone. But if he wasn't there himself, it felt like it.

With a knot in his stomach, Harry moved to the windowsill with a certain book he'd almost forgotten he had. The Remus from his time had given Harry his Hogwarts journals for his birthday over the summer, and he'd taken one of them with him to the Ministry the day he'd taken his last OWL, the day he and Tonks had accidentally been transported to the past. This particular one happened to be from Remus's fourth year, and aside from Remus's neat handwriting, there were pages written in his godfather's perfect calligraphy (courtesy of his pureblood upbringing), his father's messy scrawl, and even Peter's meticulous lettering.

Harry took that journal to the windowsill, opening the curtains just enough that he could read by the bright moonlight. He felt a little closer to them that way. Then he opened the journal to where he'd left off.

Harry soaked in each memory recorded in the journal, treasuring details he had yet to notice in their current selves. As he ran his fingers over his godfather's recounting of a particularly spectacular prank, he felt a lump rise in his throat. Then he realized his fingers were trembling. Merlin, he missed him, the godfather who'd tried so hard to be there for him even when he was living in his own personal hell. He missed the freedom of being himself, not having to worry about letting slip a huge secret that could ruin everything. He missed his friends—Hermione's cool logic and constant presence, Ron's unwavering loyalty, the Weasley twins' ability to make him laugh when it was the last thing he wanted to do. He missed _his_ Remus, the one who had become a mentor and a surrogate father to him through their time together that summer before being thrust into the past.

Eventually the words began to swim on the page before him and Harry could no longer hold his eyes open. He fell asleep with his cheek pressed against the cool window glass, silver moonlight illuminating his face. He didn't stir the whole night.

Just after sunrise, the three Marauders stumbled into the dormitory, tired but mostly unhurt. They were surprised to find their new roommate leaning, fast asleep, against the window, bathed in the early dawn light and with a book lying open on his lap.

"Why do you suppose he's there instead of in bed?" Sirius wondered. "That looks frightfully uncomfortable."

"You don't think he noticed we were gone and was waiting up for us, do you?" James asked, concerned.

Sirius shrugged. "Maybe he wanted to get some extra studying in. He _is_ a bit nerdy."

James elbowed him in the ribs. "Be nice," he hissed.

"Did he always have red in his hair?" Peter asked suddenly. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, James and Sirius noticed the red highlights in his hair that they hadn't ever noticed before.

"Maybe he was practicing some spells and fell asleep before he could undo it?" Sirius suggested.

"Whatever the reason, we should probably wake him soon; classes start in an hour and a half and we still need breakfast," James pointed out.

"He looks so peaceful, though," Peter said, trailing off. "But…sad, too."

James and Sirius looked again and sure enough, there was a trace of sadness on their roommate's face. Like he missed someone dear to him in a way that went far beyond simple homesickness. Brows furrowed, musing on what reason their roommate would have to be sad while at Hogwarts, the greatest place in the world, the three boys went on with their morning routine.

With a half-hour to go until classes, Harry still hadn't stirred. Sirius took it upon himself to wake him up. "Oy, Carter!" Sirius shouted right in his ear. "Wake up!"

Harry jerked awake, instinctively slinging his wand in the direction of the disturbance. Sirius yelped as a stinging hex got him right in the forehead. Then Harry's head collided with the window with an unpleasant _crash_. He nearly fell off the windowsill and the journal thudded to the floor.

Sirius barely jumped back in time to avoid banging heads with him, but he laughed loudly at his reaction. Harry, hearing the painfully familiar bark-like laugh, looked around wildly for his godfather. His heart twisted at seeing sixteen-year-old Sirius standing beside him, still chuckling.

"Prat," Harry grumbled, picking up the journal off the floor. Then he saw the welt on Sirius's forehead and smirked. "But at least I got my revenge."

"Hey!" Sirius protested, rubbing at his forehead. James and Peter laughed.

"You'd better hurry," James advised, still snickering a little. "Classes start in twenty minutes."

"Bugger," Harry muttered. He hurried into the bathroom, dodging Sirius's attempt at retaliation for the stinging hex, and took the shortest shower he'd ever taken. He dressed quickly and was just in time to follow the other boys down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Remus rejoined the student body after lunch that day, looking pale and tired but otherwise fine. Harry joined the Marauders in welcoming him back, but he couldn't help but notice a certain distance between them that hadn't been there before. At first, it had been a loose "us" when referring to himself and the Marauders. Now it felt more like a "me" and "them." And Harry was forced to realize, yet again, that he was still an outsider—in more ways than one.

After the night of the full moon, Harry found himself acutely missing his own time. He felt a twinge of loss every time he looked at Sirius or James, and a twinge of regret when looking at Remus. Peter was still a wild card. He was also beginning to realize that, as much as he desperately wished to spend months, even years, getting to know them, they could never know who he really was. Harrison Carter might become the fifth Marauder, but Harry Potter would forever be in the background, longing for the family he never had and never finding it for fear of messing up the future.

Predictably, perhaps naturally, Harry found himself seeking out Tonks more and more—the only one who knew who he really was. He was infinitely glad his surrogate sister was there with him, otherwise he would have been totally lost.

The second Sunday of term found the two time-travelers in the library. They had given their friends the excuse of homework, but it was merely a cover for studying ways to return to their time and time to catch up without any pretenses. After a few subtle privacy spells, they could speak freely without worrying about someone overhearing something they shouldn't.

"So, how's sixth year going?" Tonks asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Better than I expected, but not quite what I'd hoped."

Tonks nodded understandingly. "Yeah, you're not getting on well with anyone but Remus. And Snape, apparently," she added, wrinkling her nose.

"He's not all bad yet," Harry replied. "And he hasn't done anything to me, so I have no reason to dislike him."

"True, I suppose. I'm glad you haven't caught the same bug the rest of Gryffindor has."

Harry shrugged. "I'm a new person—and not just in name. What about you? Life as a teenager everything you ever dreamed?"

Tonks shrugged. "Not bad, but they're just so _shallow_! It's all about who likes who, what hair style to wear each day to catch the eye of a certain someone, who has better grades or a better wardrobe. It's horrifying to think I was like that once, too." She shuddered in mock revulsion. "Though my roommates aren't all terrible. Mary's a gossip, sure, and Marlene is way too into fashion, but Alice is pretty down-to-earth. And Lily is a Ravenclaw in Gryffindor robes," Tonks said. "Reminds me of a certain someone this summer," she teased.

"Hey, the next time _you're_ told you're destined to face a dark lord, see if _you_ don't spend the whole summer trying to figure out how to just _survive_ ," Harry retorted without bitterness. "Besides, just because I like to read doesn't mean I breathe parchment. And at least I'm only three months ahead of the curriculum. You're _seven years_ ahead!"

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Did no one ever teach you not to call a woman old?" Her voice was light, but her fingers twirled her wand idly.

"Careful with that," Harry said, unfazed, "or Madame Pince will kick you out for casting spells on her precious books." To Harry's amusement, Tonks glanced quickly around as though expecting to see the stern librarian. Then she turned back and glared at Harry when she saw no one.

"If you want to hex me," Harry continued, "we can go to the Room of Requirement to practice. But remember that I can give as good as I get now."

Tonks grinned. "I think I'll take you up on that, kid. You haven't officially beaten me yet."

"Then lead the way, o trigger-happy one," Harry said, smirking—she had no idea where the Room of Requirement was. She'd only heard the stories about the room and the DA.

"Nice try," Tonks said, narrowing her eyes. "You know perfectly well I don't know where it is. _You_ can lead, with my wand tip in your back."

Harry grinned. "Put away the wand, and you've got a deal."

Tonks continued to glare at him playfully, but she stowed her wand in its holster on her wrist and gestured for Harry to lead the way.

Harry got to his feet and did so, though he led her through a very roundabout route before they finally arrived on the seventh floor. Harry cast a blindfold hex at Tonks, ignoring her protests as her vision went dark, and led her the rest of the way to the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy and his dancing trolls. He paced three times in front of the blank stone wall opposite the tapestry until the door appeared. Then he led Tonks inside and cancelled the hex.

The door had barely closed before Tonks sent the first jinx Harry's way. He dodged, having expected it, and retaliated. Immediately a duel began in earnest. The room shifted and reformed for the first few minutes before settling on an empty field resembling the one outside Harry's cottage in their time.

The spells became increasingly creative and humiliating as time wore on, until they were both out of breath and covered in a very creative variety of hair and skin colors, a few animal parts, and various other appendages and attire. It took them nearly a half-hour to cancel them all, and they returned to the common room laughing. Harry still sported a few feathers in his hair and Tonks's skin was more gold than tan.

After that, Harry and Tonks made it a point to spend most of either Saturday or Sunday in the library or the Room of Requirement. If they were in the library, they were more often than not researching ways to return to their own time. Occasionally they did homework or recreational research. If they were in the Room of Requirement, Tonks and Harry would practice dueling or practical spell application of other types. Harry also occasionally took advantage of that time to grow more acquainted with his Animagus form.

The third Saturday of term, Harry and Tonks were in the library, scanning the stacks in the very back for any hint of how to get back to their own time. Both were acutely aware that they didn't belong, though by this time they were also fairly well accustomed to their personas of "Harrison and Joselyn" and were settling in well with roommates and housemates.

They'd barely made it to their usual table, however, when their plans were foiled by the student seated in Harry's usual spot. The boy looked up in surprise at their approach, then he recognized them and his lips turned down in a distasteful grimace before pointedly ignoring them.

"Hi, Regulus," Tonks greeted cheerfully.

"Congratulations. You remember my name. Now get out of my sight, _Gryffindor_ ," Regulus sneered.

"You make that sound like an insult," Harry said casually, sitting across from him. He was taken aback by the hostility, but he realized he hadn't even acknowledged the boy since they'd met on the platform, nearly three weeks ago. Regulus probably had assumed that they'd been indoctrinated by the anti-Slytherin sentiment that was rife in Gryffindor house and hated him.

"It was supposed to be," Regulus retorted. "Now go away. I'm not in the mood for your hateful comments."

"Do you get a lot of those?" Tonks asked, sitting on Regulus's other side and virtually trapping him between them. Regulus visibly tensed.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"World peace," Tonks declared with a perfectly straight face.

"Honeydukes Specialty Dark Chocolate Treacle Toffee bar," Harry replied with a matching expression.

"Sorry; I can't help you there," Regulus retorted dryly, but he was relaxing, ever so slightly.

"Just because we're wearing red ties doesn't mean we automatically hate green. Surprisingly, it _isn't_ a requirement for belonging to Gryffindor house. Green actually happens to be my favorite color," Harry said, jumping right to the heart of the issue with a bit of humor.

Tonks snorted. "What my dear brother _means_ to say is, we're sorry we haven't talked to you since the train. We're still the same people we were when Harry knocked you down on the platform. Being Sorted into Gryffindor didn't change that—he's still a buffoon."

Harry snorted, then he smiled at Regulus. "Like she said. I'm still willing to be friends if you are." He offered his hand to shake.

Regulus eyed his outstretched hand with suspicion for a long moment. Harry, feeling awkward with his hand stretched out, was about to withdraw it when Regulus finally accepted it and shook once, firmly.

"Very well. Friends. But," Regulus warned, "if either of you betray me, you had better be prepared to suffer the consequences."

"We will strive to live worthy of your trust," Tonks said solemnly, though the effect was ruined by the corners of her mouth twitching ever so slightly. The side of Regulus's mouth twitched in response, though he didn't smile. Harry had the distinct impression that smiles were few and far between for the younger Black heir.

"We study here every weekend if you'd like to join us," Harry offered on a whim. He gave Tonks a slightly apologetic look, but she smiled and shrugged.

Regulus nodded in acknowledgement, then he went back to his homework. Harry and Tonks took that as permission to remain and do the same. Harry pulled out his Ancient Runes textbook and began the reading assignment for the following week. After a moment, the scratching of a quill on parchment came from Tonks's direction as she found something to occupy herself as well.

After an hour or so, Regulus packed up his things and left with a hesitant farewell. They smiled and waved him on, saying they'd keep an eye out for him and see him next weekend.

After Regulus left, Harry and Tonks spent another hour or so searching for anything that could help them get back to their own time, or even just better understand time travel. But all they found was a tiny book—a pamphlet really—advertising the "newest" magic gadget, the time turner! Harry's heart sank upon reading that. If time turners were brand-new, it was highly unlikely they'd be able to access one, even assuming it could go forward as well as backward in time. After another forty minutes passed and they found nothing more, Tonks and Harry were forced to admit defeat for the time being. They stopped in the Great Hall for dinner then headed back to the common room.

Upon returning, Harry was immediately hailed by his roommates. He gave Tonks a longsuffering look, to which she smirked and gave him a look that said, you asked for it. Harry rolled his eyes and went to join the four boys by the fire.

"Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?" Harry asked cautiously—being hailed by the Marauders was just asking for trouble.

The last time it had happened, they handed him a strange package and ran. The package then exploded in a huge cloud of harmless smoke that filled the common room and left him coughing. But it had successfully distracted the rest of the common room's occupants from noticing a big black dog darting up the girls' staircase—only for it to turn into a slide and deposit said dog at the base of the stairs.

The time before that, they'd tried to recruit him into their big back-to-school prank and gotten him into detention on the principle of "guilty by association." They hadn't managed to pull off the prank, either; they'd been caught setting it up. Harry had a sinking feeling they were going to try again.

"We need your help!" Sirius declared.

"With what?" Harry asked warily.

"Pulling off our prank. Obviously we had it wrong last time, or we wouldn't have gotten caught. So, we need some fresh new ideas."

"And what makes you think I have anything to offer?"

"Well, the fact that you and Joselyn are _always_ teasing each other can't _possibly_ have anything to do with it."

"Nor the fact that you came back to the common room with feathers in your hair and she was spelled gold that one time," James added.

"There's a snowball's chance in hell—" Sirius continued.

"That you have any pranking potential whatsoever," James finished with a grin.

"Problem solved, then. I'll catch you gentlemen later," Harry said, inwardly smirking, as he made to get up and walk away.

"Hold up!"

"We were joking!"

"Don't you understand sarcasm?"

"I understand it perfectly. Sometimes I just choose not to acknowledge it. Usually, it works," Harry added dryly. Peter snickered and Remus nodded solemnly. Sirius looked highly offended and James shrugged sheepishly.

"Well, it was worth a try."

"You _could_ always try just asking normally," Harry stated with a shrug. "Being straightforward usually gets you better results than sarcasm—even if the latter is far more entertaining."

"He's right, you know," Peter said quietly.

James and Sirius exchanged a look, then Sirius nodded.

"All right. Take two, then. Harrison, would you help us plan a prank?"

Harry opened his mouth, about to refuse just out of spite, but then he saw their expressions. Sirius's was openly pleading, James was hopeful, but that wasn't what got him. No, what got Harry to finally say yes was the spark of mischief and interest in Remus's eyes as he looked up from his book and the hopeful look in Peter's face.

"…Fine," he sighed, bracing himself for mass chaos.

"YES!" Sirius and James exclaimed in unison.

"So what have you got so far?" Harry asked in resignation.

"Well, it goes like this…" Sirius began, and then he went off on a complex, implausible idea involving color-change potions or charms, treacle tart (to which Harry protested vehemently), and Hagrid's pumpkins.

Harry stared at him in disbelief, then he burst into laughter. "That…that is most ridiculous scheme I've ever heard!"

" _Thank you_ ," Remus said fervently. "I've tried to tell him that at least half a dozen times already, but he won't believe me."

"You just need to broaden your mind!" Sirius exclaimed.

"No, I think you need to bring yours back down to earth," Harry stated frankly. "It's no wonder you were caught the first time."

"But—"

"But nothing. Why not try something simple? Like a mood-based color changing charm."

"Simple?" James asked.

"We don't do simple," Sirius declared.

"You mean like a muggle mood ring?" Remus asked, completely ignoring his friends' comments.

"Exactly," Harry said with a nod.

"Um…what exactly is a 'mood ring'?" James asked.

"It's a ring you wear on your finger that changes color based on your body temperature. Supposedly, your body temperature reflects your mood. Hence the name 'mood ring,'" Harry explained. "They make necklaces for girls, too."

"And you'd cast the charm on what, our skin?" Peter asked.

"Or hair," Harry added. "Think temporary metamorphmagus, if that helps."

"Meta-what now?" James's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Metamorphmagus. It's what we call a witch or wizard with innate self-transfiguration abilities. Until they can control it, their abilities often betray their emotions," Harry said. He felt proud that he knew something his (teenaged) father didn't know.

"Oh! My little cousin is one of those. Cutest little bugger I've ever seen," Sirius said with a surprising note of pride. Harry smirked and mentally reminded himself to relay Sirius's words to Tonks when he got a chance.

"Really? Isn't that supposed to be really rare?" Remus asked with interest.

"Yeah. She's the first in the family for centuries at least. And to think, she's a half-blood!" Sirius smirked. "Oh, the look on Auntie Druella's face when she found out Drommie had given birth to the first metamorphmagus in the Black family for generations!"

"'Drommie'? 'Druella'?" Harry asked, confused. Those were names he'd never heard before.

"Drommie is my cousin Andromeda. Aunt Druella is her mum. And a right bitch, too," Sirius supplied. "Though not as bad as Mum," he muttered, and Harry was fairly sure he wasn't supposed to have heard. So he pretended not to.

"So, how are we going to pull off this prank?" James interjected.

"Good question," Sirius said, latching onto the new subject like a lifeline. Harry had the sense things had been about to descend into dangerous waters, so he was glad James had intervened.

"Well, there's the basic color-changing charm we could try to alter…or a potion might work, too," Remus mused, beginning to flip through his charms book. Harry did the same, and Peter, who had been listening intently, began furiously searching through his Potions text.

For a short while they tossed ideas around, some more ridiculous than others and some almost plausible. Suddenly Peter, who had been relatively quiet, suddenly exclaimed:

"I found it!"

"Where?"

"Lemme see!"

"Hang on!"

"Give him some space, guys," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Let's see it, Pete," Remus said.

"Here," Peter said, pointing to the recipe under the heading "Elixir of Emotion." "It's supposed to only detect emotion, but if we add a little hellebore juice…and some of those leaves—what were they called again? Right, tentacula leaves. And then combine it with the basic color-changing potion…I think it will work!"

"Can I see?" Harry asked.

"Sure," Peter replied. He passed over his Potions book and Harry skimmed the recipe, already making alterations in his mind.

"Pete's right," he mused. "Maybe up the potency a little…and double-check the proportions…then administer topically, and voila—everyone's mood revealed for all to see." Harry nodded in approval, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was getting excited, despite everything. He'd never pulled a real prank before. This was going to be fun.

"It won't even take that long," Remus said, pulling Harry out of his musings. "This one brews in a few hours, and the color-changing potion only takes twenty minutes. We can have it ready by Monday, easy."

"Perfect," Sirius said, a slightly dangerous glint in his eyes.

"We'll start tomorrow, then, yeah?" Harry asked, covering a sudden yawn. "I'm knackered."

"Me…me, too," Peter agreed, stifling a yawn of his own.

"All right. Tomorrow, then," James agreed. The others nodded and Harry immediately gathered his bag and headed to bed.


	6. Heightened Emotions

Updated 2/19/18

 **Chapter 5 Heightened Emotions**

Sunday Harry was rarely seen out of the company of the Marauders, as they happily called themselves as they set up the brewing equipment in an abandoned classroom somewhere on the fifth floor. Actually, Harry was rarely seen at all—the four pranksters had all but monopolized him the moment he'd said he'd help with their prank. They only emerged at mealtimes, and that only to grab some snacks from the kitchen before going right back to their preparations.

Sunday evening they were up late putting the finishing touches on everything, and Remus and James went out past curfew to set up the Great Hall. Harry asked how they were going to avoid being caught; James replied with a grin,

"It's a Marauders' secret. Maybe one day we'll show it to you."

"I'll hold you to that," Harry said, grinning and knowing full well said "secret" involved a charmed parchment map and an invisibility cloak.

The next morning Harry was rudely awoken by two bodies landing heavily on top of him and a sharp elbow digging into his ribs. Blindly Harry shoved away the person whose elbow it was.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get for elbowing me in the ribs," Harry groused, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You're lucky I didn't curse you; I've done it before."

"You wound me, Harrison," Sirius said dramatically from the floor. "And I mean that literally—that bloody hurt," he muttered. James laughed next to him and Harry turned to eye the second perpetrator. James's laughter abruptly cut off and he swallowed.

"Why did you choose this morning to be idiots?" Remus grumbled, rolling out of bed and rubbing a hand over his face. "Thanks to you guys, I barely got four hours of sleep."

"Sorry," James said, not looking sorry at all. He was still perched on the edge of Harry's bed, and he was starting to look impatient.

"I'm surprised _you're_ not still sleeping," Peter cut in, covering a yawn. "You were up late, too."

"It's the pranking spirit, mate," James countered. "How can I be tired when there's a spectacular prank to pull?"

"I could fix that for you," Harry said mildly, twirling his wand. James gulped. Harry nodded in approval then put away his wand; James's sigh of relief was almost audible. Then, smirking, Harry shoved the other boy off his bed. He landed with a surprised yelp and looked up to meet grey-green eyes that glinted in an all-too-familiar manner. James felt an inkling of fear as Harry smirked down at him. Then the moment was broken when Sirius loudly claimed first dibs on the shower and slammed the door.

Remus finally got out of bed, covering a yawn with one hand and straightening his rumpled pajamas with the other. Peter rolled off his bed directly onto the floor, where he then proceeded to search under the bed for his clothes. Harry pulled his hangings shut—after making sure James had gone—and then changed into his uniform. He heard the bathroom door open and shut again. When Harry emerged from behind his bed curtains it was to find Sirius in only a towel, rifling through his wardrobe for his clothes. Harry blanched, then pretended not to see the scars on Sirius's back. He wondered, not for the first time, just how bad he had it at home.

About thirty minutes later all five boys were ready to go. So, they quickly made their way down to the Great Hall. Even Harry was excited about the prank they were about to pull. Tonks had noticed the glint in his eyes when he passed her in the common room and wisely decided not to ask.

Before heading into the Great Hall, they stopped in the kitchens to make sure their potion made it into everyone's drinks at all five tables—the four house tables, and the teacher's table. Harry had been reluctant about that part of the prank, knowing that pranking the professors was just asking for trouble, but James had assured him the risk of detention made it all the more interesting. And there would be no evidence to incriminate them in the prank, either. So, still hesitant, Harry had agreed.

By the time they got to the Great Hall, it was as full as it was going to get. They exchanged a look and a grin, then—at a silent signal from Peter—Remus and Harry withdrew their wands just enough so the tip emerged from their uniform sleeves and silently cast the activation charm.

With a bang and a sudden keening sound, their rigged fireworks exploded into sparks—or at least, it looked like sparks. Potion-tainted, colored water droplets rained down on the student body. Immediately upon making contact, the color change began. It started as a dot the same color as the water droplet. Then it spread, swirling like wet ink across the skin of each victim. There was a general exclamation of surprise, then the Great Hall filled with chatter and even some laughter as a multitude of colors blossomed across the students' skin and no further harm was done.

The teachers, on the other hand, were furious. McGonagall was sputtering in frustration, her skin staining red and orange. However, Slughorn seemed grudgingly impressed by the potion. Flitwick seemed intent on discovering if any charms were involved and was delighted by the prank. The headmaster affected a look of stern reprehension, but his eyes twinkled as he stood.

"Amusing and clever as this is, I do ask those responsible to step forward and accept responsibility, and request that they avoid any further activities of this nature in the future."

Nobody stepped forward, as expected, and though McGonagall tried to pin the blame on someone, there truly was no evidence. Remus and Harry had been sufficiently subtle in the activation charm, and there wasn't a single student unaffected by the potion.

"Blue is a good color on you," James said with a grin, glancing at Sirius. "Though the yellow and green ruin the effect."

"You're one to talk," Sirius shot back without venom. "You're all yellow."

Harry snickered. That wasn't entirely accurate. Portions of James's left hand, neck, and face were pink, and those patches darkened and expanded as Lily looked their way with an expression of grudging amusement on her purple and green face. Both colors were surprisingly complimentary to her auburn hair.

"You all look ridiculous," Remus said mildly. Happy yellow bloomed over his left ear, mixing with the blue and green already on his face. There was a somewhat sickly green bleeding into a swirl of black and red on the side of his neck, though, looking like an ugly bruise. With a faint stab of sympathy, Harry attributed it to the approaching full moon and the wolf lurking below the surface.

"Why, thank you," Harry replied. "Though I can't see how ridiculous I look." He did wonder, though, how much of his inner thoughts were revealed through the colors swirling across his skin that he couldn't see.

"You're mostly blue, but with some yellow and grey and black spots, too," Peter supplied helpfully.

"Why, thank you. I've always wanted to be blue with black, yellow, and grey polka dots," Harry said with a smile. "You happen to be the same, but more green than blue, and with some orange mixed in there. It clashes with your tie," he added.

"Harrison's right, mate," Sirius chimed in. "That orange…" he shook his head. "No good at all." Then he turned to Harry. "What do the colors mean, anyway?"

Harry smiled faintly. "I'll explain later. But the biggest ones are blue, which is relaxed; green, which is excited; pink, which is love or infatuation; yellow, which is happy; and red, which is anger. Different shades mean different things, but it will take too long to explain right now."

"Maybe we'll draw you up a table," Tonks chimed in from two seats down. Her colors were mostly green, with a mix of yellow and pink and a touch of grey. The pink increased as she looked Harry's way, but her eyes drifted to Remus, sitting beside him. Harry smirked and mouthed, "you fancy him." She glared playfully back, then she smiled in real pride and mouthed back, "well done."

A warm glow filled his stomach and Peter made a sound of surprise. Harry wondered what color he saw. Then the moment was gone when Tonks laughed, presumably at the ridiculous color combinations that stained his skin.

Classes that day were an interesting affair. Hardly anyone could concentrate, and those muggleborns who knew about mood rings explained the colors to their friends. By lunchtime, the colors Harry had explained to Sirius were common knowledge, in addition to black meaning pain and grey meaning depression. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that and started to wonder if maybe this wasn't as fun an idea as he'd thought at first—especially once Potions came around.

They got a good luck at Snape, and with their new understanding of the colors Sirius and James made no attempt to lower their voices as they commented on all the petty reasons Snape's pallet was mostly dark, brooding greys and blues and blacks with a few streaks of fearful white when Avery was around.

Harry remained Snape's seat partner, despite one or two other students having dropped out of NEWT potions after the first few classes. And as class went on, he noticed Snape growing stiffer and more tense with each comment James or Sirius made. Remus and Peter mostly stayed out of it, but Peter did laugh at some of their jokes.

"No wonder he hasn't got friends. He's all broody," James said in a pitched whisper—ensuring half the class could hear.

"You'd have thought he'd have more emotions than that. I guess he really is just a miserable, lonely bastard," Sirius replied. Then he shrugged. "Then again, he matches Avery. Maybe he likes it that way," he added suggestively.

There was a splintering sound. Harry looked up in surprise from his dicing to see that Snape's wooden knife handle had snapped and his knuckles were white—even beneath the prank potion stain. Then he heard a low curse. The splintered handle had cut into Snape's hand. Harry gritted his teeth, trying to control his anger. Then he handed his seat partner his handkerchief to wrap around his bleeding hand. It was no surprise Snape refused to go to the hospital wing. Instead, he determinedly set about finishing his potion. Harry suppressed a sigh and turned back to his own work—they were working independently today.

When time ended, Harry brought his finished potion up to Slughorn for grading and started tidying up his area. Snape had taken a little longer and was just returning when, from the corner of his eye, Harry saw James casting a tripping jinx at the Slytherin's feet. He tumbled forward and landed hard on his elbow. Sirius deliberately trod on his hand—twice—as he turned in his own potion.

"Slipped on your own grease, did you?" Sirius said, looking down at the other boy sprawled on the ground with a nasty smirk on his face.

"Shut up, _Black_ ," Snape sneered. He knocked Harry's proffered hand aside and got to his feet. Embarrassed red blotches swirled into being on the Slytherin's exposed skin. Several students tittered in amusement. "I see _you_ still think you're better than the rest of us because you're a _Gryffindor_ , rather than a Slytherin where your family belongs."

"No one asked _you_ , Snivellus," Sirius retorted, drawing his wand. By now the classroom was emptying and Slughorn was already gathering his materials. Therefore, he and the rest of the class were oblivious to the escalating argument. Everyone, that is, except for Lily and Alice, and, of course Remus, Peter, and Harry.

"Stop it, Black." Lily crossed her arms over her chest and stared Sirius down.

"I don't need _your_ help," Snape sneered, but in an undertone. He grabbed his bag and started for the door.

"Lily-flower!" James shouldered past Remus and Peter and reached for Lily's bag. "Let me carr—"

"Back _off_ , Potter," Lily snapped. She pulled back and glared at him. "And don't call me that."

"—jealous because you can't get the girl," Sirius sneered, obviously the end of a list of insults. By now they were all out in the corridor.

"Leave me out of this!" Lily exclaimed.

"Lily, let's go," Alice begged. "We don't need to get involved—"

"—no wonder, really," Sirius continued as if neither girl had spoken. "She's too good for a death eater wannabe like you."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps that's a good thing, since I have no interest in mudbloods," he said. His lips twisted into a sneer that Harry was far too familiar with from Snape's older counterpart. It was the kind that made your blood run cold and your hand reach for your wand.

Lily gasped, both her hands going to cover her mouth. Snape opened his mouth, but Lily fled before he could say anything.

Alice glared at Snape. "Heartless bastard." Then she ran after Lily.

"You take that back." James's voice was colder than Harry had ever heard it before. His wand was raised and leveled at Snape, his hand completely steady.

"Or what?" Snape mocked. "Are you going to curse me?"

To Harry's surprise, James showed the barest hint of hesitation. Sirius, however, seemed to have found renewed determination.

"If you don't take it back this instant, I swear to Merlin I will," he said fiercely.

Harry opened his mouth to intervene, but Snape beat him to it.

"What? You can't stand the language you were raised on?" Snape smirked nastily. "No wonder your parents prefer Regulus."

Sirius's fingers tightened visibly around his wand. Both boys now had dark, angry red mixing with black swirling across their skin from the prank potion. "You take that back or so help me…"

"That's enough, Sirius," Harry cut in firmly. This had gone on long enough.

"Why? You heard what he said!" Sirius protested, but his eyes and his wand never left Snape. The other boy, Harry now noticed, also had his wand held subtly at his side, ready to raise and cast at a moment's notice.

"I did. And I don't like it, either," he replied, giving Snape a meaningful look. "But that doesn't mean you get to threaten him."

"You don't get it, Harrison." Sirius's voice was hard. But his wand hand faltered ever so slightly, and Snape noticed.

"What? Can't curse me without your friend's permission?" He sneered. "You're more of a coward than I thought."

Sirius's arm whipped up and a jet of light flew from the tip. Snape immediately retaliated. Harry reacted on instinct—his hand flew up, casting a wandless _protego_ between the two of them. Sirius's dark red spell and the sickly purple of Snape's ricocheted off the shield, making Harry stumble a little with the combined power. Snape's spell took a sizeable chunk out of the castle wall; Sirius's bounced off the stone and hit Harry in the ribs. He staggered sideways with a gasp, his shield flickering out of existence. Remus caught him before he fell, but it was a near thing.

Sirius cursed furiously and cast again. Harry cast another shield, gritting his teeth. James shook off his surprise and grabbed Sirius's wand arm, forcing it down. Peter helped. Snape met Harry's eye briefly with an unreadable expression, then he turned and walked off with his head high and his shoulders back.

The moment Snape was out of sight, Sirius broke out of James's grip and rounded on Harry. "Why didn't you let me curse him? He deserved it!"

There were a hundred things Harry wanted to say. But what came out wasn't one of them. "Red really isn't your color, mate."

Remus snorted, observing with Harry the mottled red and black that currently swirled around on Sirius's skin. James's jaw dropped in disbelief. Peter gave a short laugh before quickly falling silent under Sirius's glare.

"Didn't you hear what he said?"

"Of course I heard," Harry retorted. He was getting irritated. "Do you think I'm deaf?"

"No, but—"

"Then stop asking me that and consider this—are you willing to get cursed, too?"

Sirius tried to stare Harry down, but he raised a meaningful eyebrow—unintentionally imitating Remus's famous expression—and after a moment Sirius looked away, grumbling.

Harry sighed in relief as Sirius's anger faded—then he gasped sharply and pitched sideways. Black spots swam before his eyes as his ribs all but exploded in agony. Remus caught him again and now all of them looked very concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Sirius's hex rebounded and hit me in the ribs," he said, voice breathless and faint with pain.

Sirius's expression turned to one of horror. "Oh, Merlin. It was a bone-breaker hex!"

"Yeah, I gathered that," Harry retorted sardonically.

"Hospital wing?" James asked, after glaring briefly at Sirius.

"Probably a good idea," Remus replied. Harry sighed in resignation—then gasped as the pain redoubled. James shouldered his way under Harry's left arm while Remus took his right, and then the group of five trudged up to the infirmary.

"My goodness!" Madame Pomphrey exclaimed as the group entered the infirmary. Harry now hung, barely conscious, between James and Remus. Sirius shuffled along behind them, shamefaced and worried. Peter chewed on his lower lip as the matron cast a diagnostic spell.

"A spell backfired," James supplied as he and Remus lowered Harry onto an empty bed.

"Hmph. There's a reason we have a rule against magic in the corridors," Madame Pomphrey said sternly. "You were very lucky, Mr. Carter," she continued, now turning to Harry, "that it was only two ribs. It could have been your sternum or pelvis."

Harry winced at the thought. "Can you fix it?" he asked weakly.

"I certainly can, but you'll have to stay here and rest for an hour or so for the spell to take maximum effect."

Harry groaned faintly. Barely a month into first term and already in the hospital wing. He'd hoped this year would be different.

"At least you have a good excuse to skip the rest of class today," Sirius offered. "We still have DADA." Clearly, he was trying to make up for his mistake with humor. Harry didn't answer. He winced, then barely stifled a gasp as his ribs snapped back into place and started to mend themselves. _Merlin_ , but that hurt like the dickens. And he knew from experience that he'd be sore for a good couple of days afterward.

When the sharp pain receded, he sighed and nodded toward the matron. "Thanks, Madame Pomphrey."

"You're welcome, dear," she replied kindly. Harry only just noticed how _young_ the matron looked. She was young in his own time, but she looked barely old enough to be out of Hogwarts. She couldn't be older than twenty. And yet she was exactly the same, Harry realized with a grimace at the next words out of her mouth. "Here's a pain-reliever, and I expect you to take it if you need it—no 'toughing it out.' Your body needs to heal. And you won't be leaving that bed until dinnertime at least," she finished firmly.

"Yes, Madame," Harry replied meekly—he knew better than to argue with her.

"Very good," she said, nodding primly. "Now, shouldn't you boys be in class?"

"But it's already halfway over!" James protested. "There's no point in going now!"

The mediwitch looked about to say that didn't matter and they'd better get going, but one look at the Marauders' pleading faces and she gave in. "Very well. You may stay here— _quietly—_ until your next class begins, then I want you out of my hospital!"

"Thanks, Madame Pomphrey!" James said brightly. She harrumphed, then disappeared into her office amid stifled chuckles from the other boys.

The moment she was gone, though, James, Remus, and Peter all turned an expectant look at Sirius. He'd been standing quietly, shuffling his feet, until now. Now, he looked up, only to look down again at the pointed looks his friends were all giving him.

"'M sorry," he mumbled.

"Sorry, what was that?" Harry asked mildly. "I didn't quite catch that."

Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for my spell to hit you, Harrison."

"But you _did_ mean for it to hit Severus," Harry said pointedly.

"Oh, it's _Severus_ , now, is it?" Sirius snarled, all contriteness gone from his bearing.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "That's his name, isn't it?" Then he continued. "You're lucky the damage was reversible. What if you'd used something more damaging?"

"Then _Snivellus_ would have gotten what he deserved," Sirius retorted. His fists clenched and his skin started swirling with red again—the prank was still in effect.

"Really? He _deserves_ to be hurt so bad he nearly passes out in the corridor, and would have if not for his friends' support?" Harry felt his own anger rising, but he did his best to tamp it down. Instead, he forced himself to raise an eyebrow pointedly—unintentionally mirroring the look Remus often gave his friends.

Sirius opened his mouth, closed it, then looked away in frustration. "Maybe," he grumbled petulantly after a moment.

"Do you deserve the same?" Harry countered.

"Of course not!" Sirius protested instantly. "I'm innocent!"

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly. "That's what he thinks, too."

Sirius opened his mouth, then closed it again. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw James and Peter exchange an uncomfortable look.

Suddenly Remus cleared his throat. "It's nearly time for class," he stated when the others turned to look at him. Sirius grumbled and James and Peter sighed in resignation.

"Well, see you later, Harry," James said.

"See you," Peter echoed.

"Later, Harry," Remus said with a nod. Then the three of them started toward the exit.

"Later," Sirius grumbled, then he joined his friends.

"See ya," Harry replied with a wave and a wide smile. "Give me your notes later, Remus!" he called after them. Remus waved a hand in acknowledgement, then they were gone. The smile fell from Harry's face. He might have fought to leave with them, but he felt the need to set himself apart from them. Remind himself, maybe, that he didn't belong. No matter how much he longed to.

With a sigh, he lay down on the bed, figuring he might as well catch a nap or something since he was stuck in the hospital wing anyway. He winced at the soreness in his side. But it wasn't bad enough to warrant the pain potion Madame Pomphrey had prescribed. So, he ignored it, and ignored the sense of loneliness that gnawed at him.

Around dinnertime, Madame Pomphrey roused Harry from his nap and told him he was free to go. Harry nodded and thanked her, then gladly left the hospital wing. The soreness in his side was nearly gone and he was eager to rejoin the student body.

As he headed toward the Great Hall, he noticed that the prank was starting to wear off. Like an old muggle mood ring, the colors swirled lazily but didn't change. It reminded Harry of a magical photograph where the scene repeated in an endless loop. In some cases, the colors were fading, and as planned, the potion would completely wear off by breakfast tomorrow.

What Harry wasn't expecting (but should have been) was that, the moment he sat down at the Gryffindor table, he was bombarded by questions. Apparently word of the confrontation between Sirius and Snape had spread quickly, as well as how he'd intervened and spent the afternoon in the hospital wing. A lot of the younger years—who had taken a liking to Harry because he occasionally helped them with homework or told them shortcuts to get to their classes—wanted to know all the details. Even some of the older students wanted to know Harry's side of the story, because the story had been muddled already by the gossip mill.

Harry cleared up the confusion as much as possible, trying to deflect the awe and praise that inevitably followed; it made him uncomfortable, especially since it had been a lose-lose situation. Either he let them battle it out and have one or both of his friends (because he _was_ beginning to see Snape—Severus—as a friend, after spending so many potions classes collaborating with him without any animosity on either part) get hurt, or step between them and take the hit himself—literally, this time.

When Harry got back to the common room, he was confronted unexpectedly by Lily. She seemed no worse off from the slur Severus had dropped, but she also seemed intent on figuring out exactly what had happened. Harry explained as simply as possible, growing more and more uncomfortable as Lily's eyes widened with each sentence.

"You—you what? You got between them? _While_ spells were flying?"

"Well, actually, I cast a shield charm—"

"But you got hit!" Lily insisted.

"Well, yeah, by a bone-breaker hex, but—"

"That—that's—" Suddenly Lily threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "That's stupid and noble and so brave of you to stand up to your friends like that," she exclaimed.

"Er…"

"Oh!" Lily pulled away suddenly, flushing crimson. "I just…thanks, I guess, for…defending me and…standing up to them for me."

Harry rubbed his neck awkwardly. "It's nothing, really."

"Are you sure? Bone-breakers are nasty hexes, after all," Lily said, already recovered from her embarrassment. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? You're not sore, are you? I can get you a pain reliever potion—"

"I…I'm fine," Harry stammered, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the moment.

Suddenly someone chuckled. "Don't mind her," one of Lily's roommates—Marlene, if Harry remembered right—had appeared at his shoulder. "She fusses like a mum when someone gets hurt or sick or something. Even after they've proven they're fine."

"Er…" That just made Harry _more_ uncomfortable. And he was acutely aware that, despite her only being sixteen, Lily Evans _was_ his mum, fussing over him like that. And, having never truly had that experience before, he hadn't the slightest clue how to react.

"Harry! Thank goodness you're all right!" Tonks had appeared and she threw her arms around Harry like Lily had just moments before.

"Mmph!" Harry's protest was drowned in a curtain of blue-black hair.

Marlene _and_ Lily laughed. "It's like he's never had someone to fuss over him before," Marlene said with a grin.

"Don't do anything stupid like that again, you hear me?" Tonks demanded, releasing Harry from the hug but leaving her hands on his shoulders. Harry blinked. The potion had mostly worn off by now, but his surrogate sister's hair was a clashing mix of orange and lime green—she was worried.

"I'm fine," Harry insisted. "Is this what all girls do?" he demanded, finally recovering from the surprise and awkwardness from before. "If so, I never want a girlfriend and I'm swearing off sisters as well."

All three girls laughed. "Can you really blame them, though?" Marlene asked. "I mean, I'm not really a worrier, but that _was_ a right stupid thing to do."

"It was also the _right_ thing to do," Harry retorted without venom. "Now if my dear sister would let go of me, I've got homework to catch up on," he said meaningfully.

"You're stuck with me, kid," Tonks replied, grinning. But she let go of his shoulders and allowed him to head up to his dorm.


	7. New Friends

Welcome to the next chapter! It's one of the last slow chapters. Things will definitely get more interesting in another chapter or two. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave your comments below!

 **Chapter 8 New Friends**

The moment Snape had gone, Sirius rounded on Harry, looking furious. "Why didn't you let me curse him? He deserved it!"

"Red really isn't your color, mate," Harry quipped, and Remus snorted in amusement—the Black heir had turned completely red, skin and all, due to the prank that was still in effect. But Harry was still a bit breathless. He was now fairly certain Sirius had cast a bone-breaker hex, and one or more of his ribs were now broken.

"Didn't you hear what he said?" Sirius demanded, and Harry groaned—slightly in pain but also in frustration.

"Would you have rather been cursed as well?" Harry replied, raising an eyebrow. Remus spotted the expression as one he himself used so often with his friends and, despite his concern for Harry's injury, was unable to hold back a slight grin.

Sirius tried to stare Harry down, his expression fierce. Harry just raised the eyebrow higher. Finally Sirius looked away, grumbling. Harry sighed in relief, then gasped sharply in pain. Black spots swam before his vision and he felt his legs trembling, about to give way.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked in concern, and the other two boys gave him a worried look as well.

Harry threw a weak glare Sirius's way, trying not to breathe too deeply. "Sirius's hex rebounded and hit me in the ribs."

At those words Sirius finally looked at Harry with an expression besides annoyance—concern and horror. "I hit you? Oh, Merlin. It was a bone-breaker hex!"

"Yeah, I gathered as much," Harry said, his voice strained.

"Maybe next time you'll think before you cast such a dangerous hex, then," James said, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"We'd better get him to the Hospital Wing," Peter said worriedly.

"And Ancient Runes has already started," Remus added, checking his watch.

"Let's go, then," James said, glaring at Sirius. The latter looked very shamefaced and shuffled along behind them as James and Remus helped Harry up to the infirmary.

"My goodness!" Madame Pomphrey exclaimed as the group of five entered the infirmary, Harry hanging barely conscious now between James and Remus. "What happened? Set him here," she said, already waving her wand to cast a diagnostic spell.

"A spell backfired," James supplied as he and Remus lowered Harry onto the bed, casting a very pointed look at Sirius that said, we're going to talk about this later. Sirius nodded, looking pale now.

"Hmph. You boys need to learn to be more careful. You were very lucky, Mr. Carter, that it was only two ribs. It could have been your sternum or pelvis."

Harry winced at the thought of that. He'd dealt with enough broken ribs, but he'd never broken the others and it sounded painful. "Can you fix it?" he asked.

"I certainly can, but you'll have to stay here and rest for an hour or so for the spell to take the maximum effect."

Harry groaned. It was his first trip to the hospital wing that year, and he'd hoped he'd be able to stay out—he'd seen far too much of it in his five years of schooling.

"At least you'll have a good excuse to skip the rest of your classes today. We still have to go to DADA," Sirius said, trying to make up for his mistake with humor though he was slightly hesitant. Harry didn't answer, only winced as Madame Pomphrey cast the spell to fix his ribs. He felt the bones snap back into place and start to mend themselves, but he could tell it would take a little while before they were fully healed.

"Thanks, Madame Pomphrey," Harry said with a nod.

"You're welcome, dear. Here's a pain-reliever if you need it, and you had better stay and rest for at least an hour."

"Yes, Madame," Harry replied, hiding a grimace.

"Very good. Now, you boys. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"But it's already halfway over!" James protested. "There's no point going now."

The mediwitch looked about to say that didn't matter, but finally she conceded. "Very well. You can stay here— _quietly_ —until your next class begins, then I want you out of my hospital!"

"Thanks, Madame Pomphrey!" James exclaimed, and the others nodded in agreement—even Remus was glad he was exempt from class.

Once she was gone, James gave Sirius another very pointed look, and Remus adopted his patented raised eyebrow look.

Sirius, after a moment, sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, Harrison. I didn't mean for my spell to hit you."

"But you did mean for it to hit Severus," Harry responded pointedly. "You're lucky the damage was reversible. What if you'd chosen to use some other spell?"

"Then Snivellus would have gotten what he deserved," Sirius retorted, looking away again in anger.

Harry raised his eyebrow in an expression identical to Remus's. "Do you really think he deserves to be injured?"

Sirius opened his mouth a few times, only to close it again. Finally, he looked away, grumbling. "Moony! Why'd you teach him that look?" he finally said.

Remus raised his eyebrow once again. "I didn't. I suppose he's just seen it so often he picked up on it."

Sirius opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again and exclaimed, "But it's only the fourth week of term!"

Harry kept his eyebrow raised, as did Remus, and James and Peter burst into snickers at their identical expressions. Sirius pouted, but soon joined in. Their earlier argument was pushed aside, but not forgotten.

It was entertaining the next two days to observe those who knew what the colors from the prank meant and who was just amused by the changing colors in general. Muggleborns and half-bloods would snicker when someone turned pink or light red and keep their distance when they turned orange, red, or black. Purebloods were inevitably confused by these reactions, resulting in them turning grey—which only elicited more laughs from those who understood the prank. By the end of the second day it was clear that a number of the purebloods had caught on, because they began walking around in either embarrassed red or devil-may-care green.

The best part of the prank, according to Sirius, was that it lasted for a whole forty-eight hours. "The castle can actually be colorful for once!" he said in explanation. "For two whole days!"

"Then next time you should just paint the castle, rather than the students," Remus said pointedly and with some irritation. He'd been amused for the first little while, but after James and Sirius started teasing him when his skin turned pink around a pretty, blonde, fifth-year Ravenclaw he became rather disenchanted with the whole idea.

Finally, on the third day, all the students woke to find their skin back to normal. Everyone was relieved, even those who had enjoyed the prank at first. Tonks formally congratulated all five of them—though mostly Harry—for their ingenious use of fireworks and potion, and for pulling it off without being caught. They'd even escaped a lecture from Lily, which Remus mildly pointed out was incredibly rare. It was probably because no one had been singled out or physically injured, Peter reasoned. He had noticed that Lily often enjoyed the pranks they pulled, so long as they were harmless. She just hid it very well behind her disapproval.

And speaking of Lily, she refused to speak to Sirius for both those days (not that they spoke much in the first place). Tonks had mentioned to Harry that she had been really upset by the slur Snape had spoken, and that she had arrived in Ancient Runes in tears. None of them figured out what had happened afterward until that evening, when Harry was finally released from the hospital wing. He was allowed to go to dinner and was then under orders to rest the remainder of the evening despite the fact that he felt fine.

When Lily heard that Harry had been injured because he'd gotten between his friends and their enemy, she gave him a tight hug of appreciation. That evening he had the experience of being fussed over by his mother for the first time in his life, and he wasn't sure he liked it. It had been a relief to finally go up to bed.

The day following the incident in the corridor, Harry ran into Snape in the library when he went there to make up his Ancient Runes work. They studied together mostly in silence for a while, occasionally asking and answering questions or making comments. Then:

"Thanks," Snape said suddenly and unexpectedly, but still quietly.

"What for?" Harry asked, looking up from his essay to see a very unfamiliar emotion on such a familiar face—uncertainty.

Snape glanced away, obviously embarrassed. "For standing up for me," he mumbled. "Blocking Black's curse. Taking the hit."

Harry's eyebrows rose to his hairline. Never in his wildest dreams did he _ever_ imagine Severus Snape saying "thank you" to Harry Potter. Granted, he was Harrison Carter in this time, but it was the same idea. "It's not a problem," he said, gesturing vaguely. Then he became more serious. "I don't like the way they treat you. Granted, you _have_ provoked them several times. But they're at fault, too, for rising to it. That doesn't make it right. Besides, Sirius's curse bloody hurt. I don't wish that on anyone else."

"Still…thanks," Snape said quietly, his cheeks tinted red in embarrassment.

"No problem," Harry repeated, smiling. Then he held out his hand. "Friends?"

Snape eyed his outstretched hand for a moment, seeming to weigh it in his mind, but finally he nodded and shook it. "Friends."

The following week went by much more smoothly. Harry did his best to keep his new alliance—despite what he'd said, he wasn't sure he could call it a real friendship yet—with Severus (as the Slytherin had requested Harry call him) from the Marauders, knowing they would try to convince him to abandon him, or at the very least give him a hard time about it. Their potions work went much smoother now that there wasn't any distrust between them. Despite any lingering doubts Severus might have regarding Harry, they were overshadowed by the fact that he had actually gotten between him and the Marauders, and been injured in the process. Not even Lily had done that—she would usually have just hexed the Marauders before they could hex Severus or after the fact in retaliation.

Tensions between the Marauders and Severus were higher than ever—at the very least, between Sirius and Severus. But the former didn't dare raise his wand against the latter after Sirius attempted his own brand of revenge by catching Severus alone and cursing him and Harry had found out. Sirius would swear later his ears were _still_ ringing from the shouted lecture he'd received from his new dorm mate. And all the Marauders learned the hard way not to make Harry angry. There were very few things that got Harry riled up, but bullying was at the top of the list, right up there with pureblood bigotry.

At the same time, the October full moon was approaching rapidly. Harry worriedly watched the signs as Remus grew paler and more sickly-looking as the eighth of October approached. The other boys tried to pass it off as nothing, but Harry could tell it was hard for them to try and keep the secret. Several times Peter or Sirius would make some kind of joke regarding the moon in earshot of Harry and either James or Remus himself would hiss at them to shut up. So Harry started leaving clues that he was beginning to catch on.

The weekend before the full moon, Harry went to the library during a time when he knew the Marauders would be there (a rare phenomenon in and of it itself), picked a table just far enough away that he wasn't immediately noticeable, and started researching about werewolves. He was doing legitimate research, since he still didn't know as much as he'd like to about the transformation process, despite witnessing it once before. When he left, he deliberately walked past the other boys, carrying two books, and he knew they'd investigated the table he'd been at, so he deliberately left out some of his research material. He did the same with his textbook for DADA, leaving it open to the page about werewolves and other magical creatures, and another book from the library exclusively on werewolves.

Harry knew, about three days before the full moon, that the Marauders were beginning to get suspicious of him. They held intense conversations that would suddenly cut off when Harry approached—a dead giveaway that they were talking about him—and he noticed the sidelong glances they gave him whenever Remus's symptoms suddenly grew more pronounced.

The day of the full moon finally arrived, and Harry started feeling anxious. He wasn't sure if he should confront Remus, along with Sirius, James, and Peter, about everything, and if he did, how he would go about it. Remus looked worse than ever. Severus had noticed and made a rather snide comment in Transfiguration that morning that reminded Harry that the Slytherin was suspicious of Remus's condition as well. Harry did his best to divert the boy's attention, especially when Remus started to drift off during class. Remus also fell asleep in Ancient Runes, a class in which he was usually very attentive and involved, and he was pale as a sheet. Harry couldn't bear to wake him, knowing at least to a small degree what he was going through. James kept looking at him, as though expecting him to do something about it since Remus sat on Harry's other side.

By dinnertime the young werewolf had already been admitted to the hospital wing—though not without protests on his part. Harry decided to let the other three boys off easy that night and didn't go up to the dorm until long after they had left. Instead, Harry stayed in the common room, getting a head start on his homework for the next week.

It slowly emptied as the hours passed, though only the youngest students had gone to bed by the time Harry knew the Marauders would be leaving. In fact, he noticed their departure. The common room was filled with muted conversation, but not enough to completely conceal the sound of a muffled curse. Harry looked round and saw part of a shoe that quickly disappeared again before the portrait hole opened on its own. Everyone else was too preoccupied to notice, but since Harry was watching, it was obvious someone invisible had just passed through.

Even after they had gone, Harry stayed in the common room, unwilling to retire to an empty dorm. He was also feeling restless, just like he had during the September full moon. He wanted to join them, to be part of the pack and help ease Remus's burden the only way he could. As Harry's thoughts dwelt on the four boys down on the grounds that were the only family Harry had, he knew he wouldn't be able to focus anymore on homework. So he packed up his things, leaving only his Potions text out, then adjusted his position on the couch so he could more comfortably stare at the flickering flames in the hearth.

By now the common room was mostly deserted—"mostly" being the key word. There were still a few NEWT students trying to get through their workload so they could enjoy the weekend, plus Tonks and Marlene. The two had become good friends, Harry had noticed, so it wasn't a surprise that the two were still up talking. But as it grew later, they, too, headed upstairs. However, Tonks sent Marlene on ahead and sat beside Harry.

"How are you holding up?" his surrogate sister asked softly.

Harry gave a slight, one-shoulder shrug. "I'm worried about them. Especially Remus," he answered. "I want to be down there with them, helping out."

Tonks squeezed his shoulder. "Me, too. I don't think I have the same drive as you, but…I'm still anxious whenever the full moon comes around. I remember the times in the Order when he would return from wherever he went every month all battered and bruised, once or twice barely able to stand. My heart ached for him, and it's even worse now because he's still young."

Harry nodded but didn't reply, and Tonks realized that he wasn't really in the mood to talk. So she ruffled his hair and got to her feet. "Don't stay up too late," she said gently. "I love you, kid."

Harry's lips twitched into a smile. "Love you, too, sis."

Tonks smiled and planted a sisterly kiss on the top of his head before bidding him goodnight and heading upstairs.

Once she had gone, Harry resumed his silent vigil by the fireplace. He didn't know what time it was, only that it was very late. He glanced up once and saw the silver moonlight spilling over the windowsill and across the carpeted floor and a faint howl echoed up from the grounds. He pulled his legs up to his chest, for the first time since he could remember since arriving in the past feeling truly homesick for the Remus he knew, the one who was like his surrogate father. He missed his friends, and his godfather. Harry felt his throat tighten and he took a deep breath, releasing it in a heavy sigh.

"That wasn't a happy sound."

Harry jumped a little at the new voice and looked up to see the figure of his teenaged mother in the semidarkness. She smiled gently and came around the couch, settling down beside him.

"It wasn't meant to be," Harry answered, feeling yet another stab of longing as his young mother's face emerged from the darkness. "What are you doing up?" he asked, lowering his legs.

Lily's faint smile faded and she shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

"That's it?" Harry asked, forcing a light tone. Lily shrugged again. "You don't have to, but, er, if you want to, y'know, talk about it, I'm willing to listen," he said a little awkwardly, hardly believing that he was talking to his _mother_ about what was probably some petty teenage drama that only girls understood.

"It's just…I got a letter," Lily said. Harry held back a somewhat sarcastic comment and remained quiet, allowing her to speak at her own pace. "I…my sister's getting married."

"Congratulations," Harry said.

"Thanks," Lily replied with another faint smile. "The problem is, I had to hear it from my mother. My sister—Petunia—she hates me," she said, pulling her legs up to her chest in the same position Harry had been in earlier. "We used to be best friends, until I found out I had magic and she didn't. She became jealous. She…she calls me a freak."

Harry cringed involuntarily at the word, having heard it far too many times in his own childhood. He knew how hurtful it was coming from people he hated and who hated him; he could only imagine how much it would hurt coming from a much-beloved sister. "I'm sorry," he said a little uncomfortably. He couldn't very well tell her he knew exactly how that felt.

"Thanks," she replied. "I just…she used to be so cruel when we were younger, after I got my letter, but now she just ignores me. I haven't spoken to her directly in almost two years. I…I didn't even know she was engaged. Mum told me Petunia had decided on a date already. She's holding the wedding in March, when she knows I won't be able to come."

"That sounds hard," Harry answered, struggling to come up with something adequate to say. But he barely knew how to go about comforting girls in general, let alone his _mother_. They hadn't really talked since the beginning of term, as she tended to avoid the Marauders and Harry spent nearly all his time in their company.

Lily smiled, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Thanks for listening and trying to make me feel better," she said with light laughter in her voice. Harry felt his face color in slight embarrassment and was glad the glow from the fire was as red as his face probably was. "What about you? What are you doing awake?" Lily asked.

Harry smiled sadly. "Honestly? I'm a little homesick," he replied. "Which is silly, because I…well, I don't even have a home anymore, not really. I don't know if T-Joselyn told you, but…my godfather was killed at the beginning of the summer, and the house was destroyed."

Lily didn't notice Harry's little fudge about the house. "She mentioned it, yeah. But the way she told it, it seemed you were closer to him than she was."

"I was," Harry answered. "It doesn't hurt as much now, but sometimes I just can't help but miss him. Especially…especially on the full moon," he finished more quietly.

He heard a slight intake of breath. "Was…was he a…a werewolf?" Lily asked hesitantly. "Not that I care," she added hastily.

Harry smiled a little but didn't answer immediately. He debated on whether he should confirm or deny it, because technically it wasn't true, but as far as everyone in the past was concerned, Sirius and Remus of the future were the same person. To Harry, it felt like he'd lost both of them anyway since he could still think of no way to get back to his own time. So after a moment he nodded.

"He was. But he took care of me and my sister when we needed him, and we were old enough to be home alone when he went to transform. He was a good man, and I miss him."

Lily touched his shoulder, and Harry did his best not to flinch in surprise. "Thanks for letting me listen," she said, then she stifled a yawn. "Wow, it's late," she added a second later. "I think I'm going to go try to get some sleep. Take care, okay, Harrison?"

"Call me Harry," Harry said with a smile. "Goodnight, Lily."

Lily smiled. "Goodnight, then, Harry." And with that, she got to her feet and ascended the stairs up to the girls' dorms. Harry glanced at the dark staircase leading to the boys' dorms, but decided against going upstairs. He kicked off his shoes, loosened his tie and the top few buttons of his uniform shirt, and took off his school robe, then readjusted his position to once again stare into the flickering firelight. It wasn't long before his eyes drifted closed and he fell asleep.


	8. Apparation Lessons

Welcome to the newest chapter! Things get a little more interesting, some fun, then things start heating up. Don't forget to leave your comments below—I really value your constructive feedback. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 9 Apparation Lesson**

"Is this going to become a habit?"

"I don't know. It's weird that it only happens on the full moon."

"Do you think he knows?"

"How could he? It took us a _year_ to figure it out."

"But we hadn't learned very much then. And I don't think he could miss the fact that _all_ of us disappear."

"I think the secret's safe. Look. He probably fell asleep doing homework."

"Why would he do homework on a Friday night?"

"Should we wake him up?"

"It's barely six, and it's Saturday. I don't want him to yell at me again."

"You deserved it, though."

"What? How can you still defend—"

"Shh! Padfoot, keep your voice down or you'll wake him."

"Maybe that would be a good thing. Then I can ask him why he's suddenly so friendly with that slimy—"

"Shh!"

Harry groaned and shifted slightly. He tried to open his eyes, but winced at the bright light.

"Too late," someone muttered, and Harry finally cracked open his eyes to see three of the Marauders standing over him, all three of them looking rather the worse for wear but none of them appeared to be seriously injured.

"Ugh," Harry mumbled.

"Hey! That's no way to greet someone as handsome as me!"

"James, you prat. That's my line!"

"Just get your ugly mugs out of my face," Harry muttered, trying to roll over. But the couch wasn't wide enough, and he landed flat on his back on the ground with a surprised grunt. He narrowed his eyes at the three snickering Marauders.

"Why don't you just come upstairs with us and get a few hours' sleep in a real bed?" James offered, still trying to stifle his laughter.

"Shut up," Harry grumbled, grabbing his shoes and his robe that he'd discarded the night before and making for the staircase. He heard the other boys following him, none of them trying very hard to conceal their laughter.

Once he reached the dorm, Harry tossed his shoes and robe toward his trunk and tore off his tie and the button-down uniform shirt before falling face-down on the bed closest to him—which happened to be James's. He protested, but Harry refused to move. He was still exhausted from staying up so late the night before and fully intended on getting a few more hours of sleep. When the grumbling died down, Harry wordlessly cast a silencing charm around the bed and fell quickly back into unconsciousness.

Harry woke willingly a few hours later to find that the other three boys still utterly dead to the world. And no wonder, since they'd been up all night. Checking his watch, Harry found that it was about nine-thirty. He got ready for the day, taking his time, then went down to the common room to see who was awake.

There weren't many people there, and most of the students who were there were the younger years who hadn't discovered the pleasures of sleeping in yet. Tonks was up, though, and reclining on the same sofa Harry had fallen asleep in the night before, reading a book whose title Harry couldn't make out. As he approached she looked up, and smiled when she saw him.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," she said.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Harry asked. She shook her head. "Want to come to the kitchens with me, then?"

"Now how can I say no to that?" she teased. Tonks marked her place and put the book on the table before getting to her feet. "Shall we?" she asked, offering her arm and smirking. Harry rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but grin. He ignored her offered arm, though, instead just heading toward the portrait hole.

They walked down to the kitchens in comfortable silence. Once inside, they asked the excitable house elves for breakfast and ended up with a spread that likely rivaled that of the queen of England. Harry and Tonks both tucked in with gusto, and only after they'd satisfied their hunger did either of them speak.

"I've heard you're best friends with Snape now," Tonks said with a hint of teasing.

"I don't think we'll ever be _best_ friends. But normal friends? That's true," Harry answered, shrugging. "He's not so bad, once you get past his acidic wit and hatred of all things Marauder."

"But you're practically one of them by now. I know you got in the middle of an argument between him and Sirius, but what really happened?"

"They were being rude to each other. Nothing new there. But then Severus crossed a line and Sirius overreacted. They both tried to curse one another and I put up a shield between them. Sirius's curse, which was meant for Severus, rebounded and hit me. Apparently no one has ever physically defended him before," Harry replied with a shrug.

"Not even Lily?" Tonks asked, surprised.

Harry shrugged again. "I guess not. Usually she would just hex the perpetrator, either before he could cast a spell of his own or after the fact in revenge. Usually that was either James or Sirius," he added with a grin.

Tonks laughed, too, then her amusement faded and for a moment she just studied Harry.

"Er…why are you staring at me like that?" he asked after a moment.

"This might sound strange, but…I think you're good for them. A good influence, I mean. You fit in so seamlessly, it's like you were always meant to be a Marauder," she said with a slight smile.

"I would have been, growing up, were it not for Voldemort," Harry replied with a tinge of regret. "But even despite that, all four of them have impacted my life somehow that I guess pieces of each of them rubbed off on me. Peter has already mentioned several times how I sometimes remind him of James, or Remus, or Sirius."

"What do you think?" Tonks asked.

"I think he's right," Harry replied, shrugging. "And Remus has mentioned once or twice that I act like Peter sometimes, too. James and Sirius just don't pay enough attention," he added, smiling fondly. "Speaking of…I want to tell Remus I know what he is, but I'm not sure how to go about it."

Tonks pursed her lips in a thoughtful expression. "I'd say at least wait until the next full moon. It's way too early to have caught on normally unless you have previous experience."

"Oh, that reminds me. Lily came down last night while I was still downstairs. She said she couldn't sleep, so we talked for a bit. She asked me why I was feeling kind of down, and I told her I missed my godfather especially on the full moon. She asked if he was a werewolf, so I said yes. For all intents and purposes it's the same anyway."

Tonks was nodding. "That makes things easier. I've been trying to keep them separate but not let on that they're too different people—the godfather who died and the person who 'raised' us. Just as long as we don't forget."

"How could I?" Harry responded.

Tonks smiled a little. "True. Also, that would make your story more believable when you _do_ finally confront Remus—you can say you've seen it before. And if they ask you when you became an animagus—because I _know_ you're going to join them as soon as possible—you can say you did it for him."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Tonks," he said, smiling.

"Thanks for reminding me what my name is," she replied with a smirk.

"Thanks to all of you, as well," Harry added, directing his words at the busy house elves. "It was delicious."

"Yous is welcome," one of them said with an overenthusiastic bow that made it lose its balance. Another elf had to catch him.

"Come back anytime," the rest chorused as Harry and Tonks left the kitchens.

The rest of Saturday and the weekend passed in a very relaxing manner. Tonks and Harry had their usual study session with Regulus, who was finally starting to open up a little more to them. Harry had run into the younger boy several times during the week, mostly in the library, and they were quickly becoming good friends.

Regulus had heard what had happened with Severus the week before as well. Because he considered Severus to be a friend he was grateful for Harry's intervention and the fact that the two sixth years were becoming friends as well. In addition, slowly pieces of Regulus's story were emerging. It became clear after a few weeks that Regulus disapproved of his family's conduct almost as much as Sirius did, but he was afraid of his mother's wrath and so didn't dare oppose her. Having experienced firsthand the woman's temper through her portrait in Grimmauld Place, Harry didn't blame him in the slightest.

The second week of October passed just like the first, though without any violent confrontations in the corridor. They'd gotten away cleanly with their prank and the Marauders (or Sirius and James, at least) were itching to pull another one. Harry and Remus talked them out of it, and finally won when Remus pointed out that it wouldn't be as impressive following so close on the heels of the last one. So they started planning a Halloween prank instead, which made them both roll their eyes.

Fortunately, on Tuesday a notice went up on the common room notice board that distracted the two completely from prank-planning: apparation lessons would begin that Saturday, and would be held every other weekend until the entire sixth year were capable of passing the test. Unfortunately, Harry then had to put up with all the wild ideas of what James and Sirius and even Peter would do once they could travel instantaneously. Harry could tell Remus was excited, too, but he concealed it better than the others. Harry, and Tonks, were both highly amused. Already having mastered apparation, they didn't care about the classes, but they were entertained by the stories and rumors that started flying around the school.

In the midst of all the excitement, Saturday couldn't come fast enough. Harry couldn't wait for James to deflate his head and realize that it wasn't as easy as it sounded, or for Sirius to stop bragging about he'd apparated as a child in a bout of accidental magic and would master it in a second. In fact, Harry took to avoiding them because they got so obnoxious. Instead he spent more time with Tonks and the sixth year Gryffindor girls, getting to know Lily, Marlene, Alice, and Mary better.

Mary seemed to have gotten over her slight crush on him from the beginning of term and actually turned out to be quite fun to talk to, though best in small doses. She reminded him of Ginny sometimes, in her stubbornness and chattiness, but Ginny was far more down-to-earth than the resident Gryffindor gossip. Marlene, it turned out, was a slightly tamer version of Sirius. She was a flirt and had a mischievous streak a mile wide, but she was less outspoken than the Marauder. Harry quickly befriended Alice, as she was very like her future son, Neville—shy at first, but fiercely determined and very loyal to her friends. A badger in a lion's robes, Tonks had said. Harry also enjoyed the time spent with his young mother, and couldn't help but laugh at the innumerable times she complained about the Marauders' antics, but especially James.

Finally Saturday arrived. The apparation lessons were all anyone could talk about at breakfast The lesson was set for ten o'clock in the morning. Harry barely endured the hour of anticipation between breakfast and the lesson, but finally it was time to head down to the Great Hall.

" _Finally_ we get to learn to apparate!" James exclaimed as they made their way down. "I've been begging Dad to teach me for _years_ , but he's always refused!"

"That's probably a good thing, Prongs," Remus said mildly. "Who knows what kind of havoc you would wreak if you could apparate immaturely?"

Harry snorted at Remus's pun that, unsurprisingly, went right over James's head. "Where's your faith in me, Moon? I would _never_ use apparation to play pranks on people—"

"Or sneak into the girls' dorm to spy on Evans," Sirius added, smirking.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You _do_ know only the Headmaster can apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, right?" he asked, knowing they didn't.

"Don't bother, Harry. They've never read _Hogwarts: A History_ except to learn about secret passageways," Peter said, shaking his head.

"Oi! I did too read _Hogwarts: A History!_ "

"No, you didn't, Prongs. You charmed a Quidditch magazine to _look_ like _Hogwarts: A History_ so Evans would think you were intelligent," Remus said with a snort. Harry choked on a laugh. James looked wounded and betrayed while his friends laughed at him.

By that time they had reached the Great Hall. The House tables were gone, replaced instead with hundreds of wooden hoops that resembled the muggle toys Harry had often seen during primary school. Harry also realized where Tonks had gotten the inspiration for the lessons _he'd_ received. There were also two wizards from the Ministry, accompanied by Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn, Madame Pomphrey, and the Headmaster. Harry saw that Tonks had already arrived with her roommates. She caught his eye and gave him a look of relief. Harry smiled back, just as glad as she was that the hype would die down now that the first lesson had arrived.

Harry followed the Marauders to the row of hoops directly in front of the sixth year Gryffindor girls, James deliberately choosing one right in front of Lily. Harry rolled his eyes, but grinned. Watching their interactions over the last month, he knew that James attempting to show off—which was clearly his intention—would end badly. At least for him. It was just too funny to watch his father try to woo his mother when she had made it quite clear in a variety of ways that she had no interest in dating him. In fact, at times she was downright hostile, but it only amused Harry more because he knew they would eventually get together.

The Great Hall buzzed with conversation and anticipation while they waited for everyone to arrive. Finally, just before ten, the last few stragglers wandered in and the doors were closed. Harry turned his gaze toward the teachers. Dumbledore raised his wand and there was a flash, then he spoke.

"Welcome, all of you, to your apparation lessons. I have lifted the charms preventing apparation in the Great Hall _only_ so that this lesson may take place. I would advise you not to try to apparate anywhere else, as the consequences will be quite unpleasant," he said with that familiar twinkle in his eye. "I also welcome Misters Twycross and Elias, who will be your apparition instructors over the course of the year. Please respect them as you do your teachers here at Hogwarts. The Heads of Houses are here to oversee the lesson and to be available in case of emergency. Thank you, and good luck," Dumbledore finished with a friendly smile and a wink. He then ceded the floor to the ministry instructors.

"Good morning, students. I am Wilkie Twycross, and this is my assistant, Frances Elias." Elias waved dully, looking bored. Twycross continued. "As your headmaster explained, we are here to teach you to apparate. Once you have managed to apparate, you will be required to get a license as soon after your seventeenth birthday as possible. Also, once you have done so, you will no longer be required to attend this class though you may should you desire extra practice. That said, we will begin!"

"He seems so excited," Sirius observed sarcastically.

"Like _you_ can talk," Harry retorted. "But I suggest you pay attention, so you don't splinch yourself."

"Because that would just be tragic," Tonks put in, grinning. "You'd never win your way to someone's heart if you were missing an important part of you."

"Would that actually be a bad thing, though?" Harry asked, enjoying the chance to wind Sirius up even if it was petty retaliation for his attitude during the week. "He wouldn't be able to repro—"

"Oi!" Sirius cut him off indignantly. The other Marauders laughed at his misfortune. Sirius was about to retaliate when a familiar and feared voice sounded close by.

"I suggest you pay attention, Mr. Black. Or it will be detention for you," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Sirius nodded contritely and looked toward where Twycross was going on about something called the "three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation." Harry tuned it out, but Sirius was now paying proper attention (though not without a few glares in Harry's or Tonks's direction).

Finally the official instruction ended and people started spinning and tripping. Harry was wondering just how long he'd have to wait before he could get away with apparating properly when James's boasting voice reached his ears.

"This is easy. I have plenty of _determination_ to _deliberately_ get to my _destination_ ," James was saying, heavily stressing the three Ds Twycross had explained. Everyone nearby snickered or coughed to hide their laughter. James didn't seem to notice. He wasn't actually looking at Lily, but it was clear he was trying to show off for her. "Watch the master at work, then," he said, sticking his chest out. Remus snorted and tried to cover it with a cough, Peter's lips were twitching, and Sirius was outright smirking. Harry was fighting a smile of his own, and he noticed that all the Gryffindors except Lily and Alice, who she was talking to, were paying him close attention.

"Go for it, then, O Mighty One," Sirius said, grinning, when James hesitated.

"I shall," James responded determinedly, narrowing his eyes at Sirius for his jibe. Then he turned to stare at the hoop six feet in front of him, seeming to memorize every detail of every square inch of tile within in. Then he closed his eyes in apparent concentration and Harry coughed to hide his snort of laughter at the look that appeared on his face. Then, with an unnecessary flourish, James started to turn.

Instead of a quarter turn, James turned a full 180 degrees, doing a complete about-face. He also spun too quickly. He tripped on his own feet and landed facedown with a grunt. His head was inches from Lily's shoes. Harry winced at the _crack_ that sounded as he landed. James rolled over, groaning, leaving his shattered glasses on the floor. His nose was crooked and bleeding.

The entire group around them burst into laughter. Peter was wheezing, he was laughing so hard, and Sirius was leaning on Remus to keep him upright, his arm wrapped around his midsection. The pair looked about ready to collapse. Harry tried to hold back his guffaws while Tonks positively howled with laughter. The other three girls were much the same. Lily's lips were twitching, though she was trying ever so hard to look stern.

"Get up, Potter," she said, her voice strained. The smile was beginning to break across her face. James's answer was to open his eyes and say in a congested voice,

"Go out with me, Evans?"

The entire group burst into renewed laughter. Lily huffed and swung her foot at James's shoulder, muttering, "Pathetic." Sirius actually collapsed to his knees, he was laughing so hard, and he took Remus with him. The young werewolf was literally crying with mirth, tears of laughter streaming down his face while he struggled for breath. Harry was leaning on Tonks, who was shaking with laughter of her own, gasping as he laughed.

" _Really_ now. This is meant to be a serious lesson." Professor Slughorn's voice came from nearby. Harry choked back his laughter and looked up to see the head of Slytherin house and Professor McGonagall approaching. The transfiguration professor looked incredibly annoyed that she now had to tell off her Gryffindors for the second time in half an hour. Her lips were pressed together thinly, but Harry had a strong suspicion that she was concealing laughter of her own.

Slughorn's choice of words made Sirius snort in laughter again. Peter whacked his shoulder.

"Not the time, Padfoot," he muttered, though his voice was still touched with suppressed laughter.

"What happened to Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked sternly. "I certainly hope none of you are to blame for this."

"P-please, Professor," Marlene began, still half-laughing. She struggled to get her words out. "He was boasting about how well he could apparate. But when he tried to show off, he tripped and fell on…on his face," she finally managed breathlessly.

McGonagall huffed sternly. "And broke both his glasses and his nose, it seems. Quite the impressive feat. Get up, Mr. Potter."

James nodded jerkily and got to his feet. His face was covered in blood and he winced slightly as he stood. He glared at Sirius, who was now laughing silently but hard enough that tears were streaming down his face. The others had recovered for the most part. Remus, finally tired of Sirius's obnoxious laughter, sent a silent sobering hex at him. Sirius choked but his expression cleared.

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin," McGonagall said with a nod. "Five points to Gryffindor for saving a classmate from self-asphyxiation."

Remus grinned. "Thanks, Professor."

"Umb, Professor?" James asked, his voice garbled.

" _Episky_ ," McGonagall said lazily, pointing her wand at James's nose. It snapped back into place with a _snap_ , making James wince.

"Thanks, Professor," he said, his trademark grin back in place.

"Thank me by cleaning yourself up, Mr. Potter, and do try to take this seriously," she responded. Remus sent a wordless silencing charm at Sirius at the same time Peter punched his shoulder, effectively preventing him from making a joke with the professor's word choice. "Mr. Carter, I trust you can fix his glasses?"

"Of course, Professor," Harry responded with a smirk while James frowned.

"Good. Now, I want to see all of you, _except_ Mr. Potter, attempt at least once to apparate before this class ends. Good luck, and I do hope there will be no more…incidents," McGonagall said, fixing a stern gaze on each of the Marauders in turn.

"Of course not, Professor," Lily answered, glaring at each Marauder as well.

"Thank you, Miss Evans," McGonagall said. She gave each of them a pointed look before walking away.

" _Reparo_ ," Harry muttered, pointing his wand at James's shattered glasses on the ground at Lily's feet. The pieces flew back together until the frames and lenses were whole again. He then levitated them toward James with a simple wave of his wand.

"Thanks, Harry," James said sheepishly, putting them back on. " _Tergeo_ ," he murmured, pointing his wand at his own face and siphoning off all the blood. His cheeks were still tinged pink, now that he recognized what a fool he'd made of himself.

"Next time don't be an idiot," Harry responded mildly. James nodded, shamefaced, and stood patiently out of the way for the rest of the practice time. Nobody managed to apparate, but two did manage to splinch themselves.

When time was up, Dumbledore replaced the apparation charm over the Hall and the hoops vanished with a sweep of the headmaster's wand. The students were then hustled out of the room while the room set itself up for lunch. Rather than return to the common room, the Marauders plus Harry reentered the Great Hall to eat. The entire time Sirius, Remus, and Peter took full advantage of the opportunity to take the mickey out of James for his spectacular failure to impress Lily Evans. Harry mostly just listened and laughed along, knowing that they would never let James forget the incident. He also knew that he would treasure the memory of it forever.


	9. Dementor

And on to the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Chapter 10 Dementor**

The next day the whole of Sixth Year across all houses was talking about James's spectacular failure to impress Lily in the apparation lesson, and the rumors carried into Monday as well. The Marauders, minus James, at first encouraged the rumors and the laughter, but after a while they began defending their last member. At first James laughed along with them, but by the end of Sunday it was clear he was getting discouraged. So the others started standing up for him and telling off the more vocal participants.

When Monday afternoon came around, things were starting to die down, simply because the novelty was wearing off (especially as James had made a fool of himself numerous times in an effort to impress and win over the redheaded Gryffindor girl). Severus, however, was in equal parts amused and furious, and Harry picked up on it while they brewed a Dreamless Sleep potion in class that afternoon.

"Potter sure did a number on himself this time," Severus commented with a mocking smirk. Harry shrugged noncommittally, which Severus seemed to take as permission to unleash al his complaints about "that arrogant bastard"—clearly no one in Slytherin house wanted to hear him complain, so Harry became the next best option. For a little while Harry simply let him get it off his chest, but as the comments grew equally insulting, Harry started to get annoyed.

"That son of a bitch blood traitor isn't good enough for her anyway," Severus finally muttered viciously, unconsciously crushing the beetle eyes he was supposed to be adding to their potion. And Harry had finally had enough.

"I know you hate him, Severus, but he's still _my_ friend," Harry interjected firmly, "and I don't want to hear you insulting him. Even if he _is_ an idiot at times."

"Why bother defending that prick?" Severus demanded. "Besides, I bet you listen to them mock me all the time. So why is this any different?"

" _Because,_ " Harry said pointedly, "when they start on you I put a stop to it. And it's not just because you're my friend, but simply because it _isn't_ _right_. So why shouldn't I do the same when it's you doing the insulting?"

Severus opened his mouth to answer, then scowled and turned back to the roots he was chopping. But Harry did notice a faint look of mingled surprise and gratitude as he worked, and somehow he knew he had just won Severus's trust.

The next two weeks flew by, and before Harry knew it, it was nearly Halloween. By now he was almost fully integrated into the Marauders. They still drove him mad quite frequently, and sometimes being with them made Harry miss those from his own timeline, but they were his best friends. He had also become good friends with the sixth year Gryffindor girls, from the times when he managed to escape the Marauders' shenanigans. He'd taken to sitting with Lily, Alice, and Tonks during Charms, and he spent some evenings studying Transfiguration with Mary or Defense Against the Dark Arts with Marlene, sometimes joined by another roommate, Remus, or Peter. Occasionally even a few younger years would join in and Harry would help tutor them. He was actually quite popular in the Gryffindor tower, though Harry didn't particularly care for the attention. It was simply because he was as smart and charismatic as the other Marauders, though he was quieter and not as obnoxious.

In the week leading up to Halloween, the Marauders were in full-blown planning mode for a school-wide Halloween prank. Harry tried, though not very hard, to stay out of it, and by Wednesday he'd been completely roped into the planning. Peter wanted to charm the pumpkins that always decorated the Great Hall, and James had found a spell that would cause the suits of armor to jump out and scare unwary passerby as well as make frightening noises. Sirius thought it would be fun to add in a Grim (which remarkably resembled his animagus form, though Harry wasn't supposed to know that) and a rat (with clear reference to Peter) to join the fluttering bats Remus suggested.

Harry innocently suggested a werewolf as well, in reference to the full moon the week after Halloween, and was unsurprised when his idea was shot down immediately and followed for several hours afterward with suspicious looks. After that Harry suggested getting the school ghosts involved, the ones that weren't as well-known as the House Ghosts. James praised his genius and the five put their heads together to figure out how they could convince them to join the prank. Sirius mischievously suggested they get Peeves the Poltergeist in on it as well. Remus looked uncertain, but the rest were all for it. Harry knew it would delight the Poltergeist to actually be involved.

The rest of the school was getting into the Halloween spirit as well. On Thursday Hagrid brought in the massive pumpkins from the pumpkin patch outside his cabin and the other teachers were incorporating Halloween into their lessons. Professor McGonagall explained the superstition behind black cats in a review on animagi and animal symbolism. Professor Flitwick taught them some of the more advanced charms that would help build a costume or scare their friends. Professor Slughorn had them brewing Polyjuice potion (with strict instructions that it was not to leave the classroom; James and Sirius pocketed two vials, exchanging conspiring looks. Harry was afraid of what they might do with it). Professor Babbling explained the mythology behind All Hallow's Eve and how it tied in with Ancient Runes, and Professor Vector explained the numerology that supposedly allowed the veil between real world and the world of spirits to thin on that specific night every year. Professor Sprout explained the properties of certain plants that only bloomed on Halloween or on the full moon. Professor Dean got into the Halloween Spirit as well, though in a way that felt far too real for Harry.

When the Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years entered the DADA classroom the Thursday before Halloween, they found it set up much different from usual. Instead of the regular rows facing the front of the classroom, the desks were set up in two concentric semicircles. Professor Dean's desk was missing, and in its place was a large trunk. The students in the front of the room jumped in surprise and alarm when it suddenly rattled. Harry felt his blood run cold.

"Harrison! Over here!" Sirius called from the front of the room. He pointed at a seat beside him, barely six feet from the trunk. Harry glanced at Tonks, who had entered just behind him. She shrugged helplessly and took her own seat as close as she could without infringing on the Marauders' territory.

"Yeah, come on, Harry!" James echoed, sitting on the other side of the empty desk. Harry couldn't help a slight, amused smile but took the indicate seat with caution—there was no telling what the two were up to at any given moment. Remus and Peter took the seats just behind them.

Only seconds after the bell rang, Professor Dean swept into the room, cutting through the chatter with his footsteps. A rather unsettling smile was stretched across his face, made even more so by the scar across his cheekbone.

"Today I thought we might do something a little…festive. Who can tell me what I've got in this trunk?"

Several hands went up, Harry's included. The auror called on him. "It's a boggart," Harry replied. "It's a shapeshifter that shows us our worst fears."

"Very good," Professor Dean said, nodding his approval. "Five points to Gryffindor." The trunk gave another ominous rattle, and the students closest to it leaned away from it, caution and anxiety on their faces. The auror smiled unpleasantly. "A boggart is a shapeshifter. No one knows what it looks like when it's by itself. But that doesn't matter. What matters is what happens when it appears in front of you. Do you have the mettle to face your fears—quite literally _laugh_ them away—or will you freeze up and find yourself at its mercy?" he said fiercely, eying each of them. "Because boggarts do more than scare you. They can hurt you if you don't banish them fast enough."

He stopped and let silence reign for several minutes, letting the students get worked up over the rattling trunk as his words sunk in. Harry's heart skipped a beat as the lid pushed open slightly. Finally the auror spoke again. "So how do you face down and defeat a boggart?"

All four Marauders raised their hands, along with several other students, Lily and Tonks among them. Harry glanced across the room and saw an expression of intense determination on Severus's face, and he couldn't help but wonder what his ex-potions professor's worst fear was.

"You, Pettigrew," Professor Dean said, pointing at Peter. Harry saw the gleam of mischief in his eye and groaned as Peter replied.

"You make it look utterly _riddikulus_ ," he said, grinning. The professor's eye twitched as a number of students sniggered at the pun. James gave Peter a high-five under the table.

"Technically correct," the professor conceded. "The spell is _riddikulus_ , and it is powered not just by your wand and magic, but by your emotions. If you're scared, it won't do a thing. You have to be _amused_. So, take a minute to think about your greatest fear, and how you will force it into a shape you find amusing. Then we will face it one by one until everyone has gone. Clear?" There was a murmur of assent. "Then push your desks back, take out your wand, and line up around the room. Also, I expect you to do this as silently as possible. If you cannot cast nonverbally, you will have to whisper."

Harry tried not to gulp and distracted himself from the growing pit of anxiety in his stomach by glancing around the room. Most students simply looked firmly concentrated, but Remus had gone pale and a sheen of sweat shone on his brow—he was afraid of his secret getting out. Sirius looked more determined than Harry had ever seen. Tonks appeared calm and collected, her wand held loosely in one hand, but Harry spotted the white tips in her dark hair that indicated her fear and anxiety. She looked up and caught his eye, and she mouthed "good luck." Harry swallowed and nodded—his throat was dry.

As the first of the students began to take their turns, Harry began to panic. There was simply no way to make his worst fear even remotely amusing, but he couldn't cast a Patronus because it would give him away. He was about halfway down the line, just behind Sirius, and it was moving quickly. Harry took a deep breath, wiping his sweaty hands on his robes before readjusting his grip on his wand. He'd just have to do his best.

All too soon, it was Sirius's turn. Harry glimpsed a figure that looked exactly like Sirius, but wearing a Slytherin tie and a nasty look on his face. Then suddenly boggart-Sirius turned into James, drenched in bright pink goop as Sirius waved his wand lazily, smirking widely at the real James's indignant expression. Then it was Harry's turn.

He'd barely taken a step forward before the icy cold enveloped the room. A girl screamed and quite a few others gasped as they felt the effects. Harry started to shake as echoes from that Halloween night started replaying in his mind. He raised his wand, his hand trembling, but no spell rose to his lips. The black, hooded figure drew closer, its icy fingers reaching towards Harry's heart.

" _Lily, take Harry and go!"_

 _"Stand aside, you silly girl!"_

 _"Not Harry! Please, not Harry!"_

 _A high-pitched scream, a thud. A flash of green light._

"Expec—R-Riddikulus!" a female voice cried, as if from a distance. The paralyzing cold began to fade from the room, but it still gripped Harry's insides. His vision was blurry and he was on the ground against the far wall with his hands over his ears, as if he could block out the cries. He had no idea how he'd gotten there. His entire body was shaking. He had no idea what showed on his face. A number of voices started talking and exclaiming all at once, but to Harry it was just a rush of noise save for a few distinct voices.

"Harry? Are you okay?" It was James.

" _Lily, take Harry and go!"_

"He needs the hospital wing!" Lily's voice.

" _Not Harry! Please, not Harry!"_

"I'll take—"

" _I'll_ take him," Tonks interjected, her voice unusually cold as she cut James off. A deceptively strong hand closed around Harry's upper arm and hauled him to his feet. Harry was dimly aware of being led though an open doorway, which was then shut. A piece of chocolate was shoved into his mouth and his nose was pinched, forcing him to swallow.

Almost instantly warmth began flooding back through Harry's body. His mind cleared, along with his hearing and vision. He was still shaking, though not nearly as badly as before.

"Are you back now?" Tonks asked worriedly.

"N-nearly," Harry said shakily, shuddering involuntarily as those voices echoed in his mind again.

"Do you want to go to the hos—"

"No!" Harry protested, a little too loudly. He refused to go to the hospital wing when all he needed was more chocolate and a nap.

"Are you sure?" Tonks asked. "You…you scared me half to death, kid," she said quietly, using her old nickname for him.

" _I_ scared me, too," Harry admitted, wrapping his arms around himself. "I…it was worse than usual. I…I couldn't even think, let alone cast a spell."

"Well, the people you heard dying _were_ right beside you," Tonks muttered, and Harry shivered again, remembering how the teenage versions of his parents had melded with their slightly older counterparts in his mind. Then Tonks's arm snaked around his shoulders.

"Let's go to the kitchens and get you some cocoa. Then I want you to rest at least until lunchtime. Agreed?"

"Do I have to?" Harry asked cheekily. Tonks turned to face him with her best "I'm older and therefore in charge" look.

" _Yes_. You just faced down one of the darkest creatures ever to walk the earth. You're _still_ shaking and it's been nearly thirty minutes. You're going to drink the cocoa, then I am going to walk you to Gryffindor tower so you don't 'get lost' along the way," she retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. The roots of her hair were turning a strange mix of grey and red, so Harry knew better than to argue.

"Fine," he muttered, and he allowed Tonks to half-drag him down to the kitchens.

As they descended the staircase, Harry's legs nearly gave out on him twice. His limbs were weak and shaky, and Tonks had a look of exasperation mixed with worry the second time she had to catch him. Luckily by then they'd reached the kitchen.

"Can we get two mugs of cocoa, one with extra chocolate?" Tonks said as the painting of the fruit bowl moved aside. Three of the dozens of bustling house elves jumped to work.

"Would sir and miss be liking anything else?" one of them asked in a squeaky voice, and Harry smiled fondly as he remembered Dobby. But the thought of putting anything into his stomach suddenly made him feel queasy. Tonks glanced at him, noting that he looked unusually pale and slightly green now, so she shook her head.

"Just the cocoa. And could some be sent to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, too?"

"Of course, miss! We is doing so right away!"

The kitchens were suddenly a bustle of activity as the elves prepared the cocoa. Tonks helped Harry to sit down at one of the tables, and kept sending him worried looks. Harry only noticed about half of them—his mind kept drifting back to the dementor, and each time it made him shiver again. He couldn't get his parents' dying words out of his head, and he didn't know how he'd face either of them later that day.

Finally two large mugs were placed before Tonks and Harry. Tonks nearly had to force her surrogate brother to drink his, and Harry kept insisting he was fine even though he was far from it. But finally he lost the argument and drank down the rich chocolate in a few gulps. He felt the warmth return to his fingertips and Tonks saw the color return to his cheeks, though he was still a little pale.

"Remember, rest," Tonks said firmly when they finished their cocoa and stood to go. Harry tried to protest again, but Tonks cut him off with one of her patented glares. He then let her lead him up to the Gryffindor common room, and from there to Harry's dorm. Harry grumbled about being bored all day as he sat on his bed, and Tonks gave him another _look_. "If you get bored, you can read the section in your textbook on how to properly defeat boggarts," she deadpanned.

Harry snorted but without real amusement. He still felt pretty shaken up. "Gee, thanks. Maybe I'll look up ways to change my Patronus form so it doesn't resemble my not-dead dad's animagus form, too," he retorted.

Tonks smirked and ruffled his hair. "Sleep for a few hours. Then you can do homework in the common room or something. Believe me, you'll thank me for this. It means you won't have to put up with half as many questions and stares than if you had stayed with the class.

Harry rolled his eyes and grumbled sarcastically, then he gave his surrogate sister a small but genuine smile. "Thanks…for getting me out of there, and for worrying about me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.

Tonks smiled softly and kissed the top of his head. "That's what big sisters are for, you big prat," she said affectionately. "Take care. Don't play with any more boggarts, okay?"

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled back. "I promise."

Tonks waved and departed, leaving Harry alone. He fell back onto his bed, slipping almost immediately into an Occlumency trance to lock away the memories the dementor had reawakened. It was hard to relive those moments, but by the time he finished he felt calmer, more in control. He also realized he was exhausted—the encounter with the dementor really had drained him. So Harry rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, falling asleep within minutes.

About an hour and a half later, he woke with a slight groan, but he was no longer tired. A quick _tempus_ charm told him it was too late to go to Ancient Runes, but too early for lunch. So he gathered his books for Transfiguration and headed down to the common room to work on the essay, since he'd missed class. He'd only been working for about forty minutes when there was a sudden commotion at the portrait hole.

"There he is!" Peter's voice.

"Thank Merlin." Remus sighed.

"Harrison! You're alive!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Harry! You gave us a right scare, mate."

" _Lily, take Harry and go!"_

Harry mentally shook himself as the memory returned, berating it for escaping his Occlumency barriers.

"Prongs is right, mate. Nearly gave me a heart attack, you did," Sirius agreed, dropping onto the sofa beside Harry and slinging an arm around his shoulder.

" _Are_ you all right?" Remus asked, sitting down on Harry's other side. "You really worried us. Did you have some chocolate, at least?"

Harry held back a snort of amusement. "Joselyn practically had to force-feed it to me, but yes," he answered with a grin, talking over Sirius.

"You can't fix _everything_ with chocolate!" he was saying, quite passionately.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I never said it cured _every_ thing, Padfoot. But in this case, chocolate happens to be the prescribed remedy," he said snootily, sticking his nose in the air.

"Moony's right, Padfoot. Remember what Professor Dean said?"

Sirius snorted, but Remus nodded at Peter. "Exactly."

"Relax, Moony. It was a joke," James put in, grinning.

" _Go, I'll hold him off!"_

"Are you all right, Harry? You just went pale," Peter said suddenly with concern, cutting off the others' laughter.

"I'm fine," Harry replied, shaking his head slightly to clear it. He'd blocked the memory, he'd had chocolate. Why did it keep coming back?

"Maybe he needs more chocolate," Sirius suggested innocently. Remus smacked his shoulder with unnecessary force and then ignored his protests and whining of pain.

"Enough about chocolate. Are you sure you don't need to see Pomphrey?"

"I'm sure," Harry said firmly. "I avoid the hospital at all costs. And I really am fine." Remus and Peter looked doubtful, but they didn't bring it up again.

"Now that we've found you, should we go down to lunch? I'm don't know about you, but I'm starving," James said after a moment's silence. Everyone agreed enthusiastically, and Harry followed them down to the Great Hall.

Harry was immediately conscious of the stares aimed his way once they entered the Hall. He deliberately chose to ignore them. Tonks gave Harry a once-over with a critical eye, but finally nodded, declaring him all right to join back with the rest of the student body.

After they'd eaten, Harry joined Peter and Sirius in Herbology, bundling up against the late October chill. Their task that day mainly consisted of readying the plants for winter. That involved repotting, fertilizing, and for a few even putting blankets and other winter gear on the plants. It was a task that got them muddy, cold, and tired, but the running commentary Sirius kept up and Peter's dry humor brought Harry's spirits back up and he felt completely normal by the time class ended.

In Potions, though, the atmosphere was entirely different. All the Slytherins and a few Ravenclaw students—even ones that hadn't even been in class with Harry—immediately began mocking Harry for his reaction to the boggart. Even Severus made a number of unnecessary comments, his caustic sense of humor making Harry feel worse, not better. That, combined with the fumes from the Sobering Potion they were brewing—whose effects, when brewed correctly, resulted in better reasoning and clarity of mind, but when done incorrectly inflicted a heavy depression—gave Harry a pounding headache by the end of class, and he was feeling worse than ever. He only managed top marks on the potion because _Severus_ was paying attention, and stopped him from making a careless mistake more than once.

Harry felt relief when Potions finally ended. He tried to escape to the dormitory, or get a headache potion from Pomphrey, but he was swept along by the Marauders and didn't get the chance. He also felt Tonks watching him from across the table in the Great Hall once they arrived there for dinner.

For better or worse, though, Harry was very adept at concealing physical and emotional distress. So even though by the end of dinner his head was pounding worse than ever and he was exhausted, he had everyone—including Tonks—convinced he was fine, if slightly tired, by the time they returned to Gryffindor Tower.

In the common room, Harry was again prevented from retiring early because Peter wanted help on their Potions homework, and James and Sirius were determined to engage him in putting the finishing touches on their Halloween prank. Harry ignored the latter two and helped Peter until he could do it on his own. Then he pulled out his Transfiguration essay, figuring he could at least try to get something done if the others were going to force him to stay with them.

Harry managed to tune out the conversation until he finished his essay. It wasn't his best work, but he'd be able to revise it later. As he read it over one last time before putting it away, James and Sirius started bickering for no good reason, and their voices—especially James's—cut through the fog surrounding his mind. He dropped his quill and lowered his head into his hands, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. His headache, which had never gone away in the first place, intensified as the quarreling grew louder. He waited a moment or two to see if anyone would notice his distress, but when no one did he spoke up.

"Can't you two shut up for just _one_ minute?" Harry said irritably without lifting his head.

"Why, Harrison, I didn't know you cared!" Sirius exclaimed.

"This _is_ the first time he's been genuinely annoyed at us," James mused. "Well, except for when he yelled at you, Padfoot."

Sirius and Harry both cringed—Sirius at the memory of the lecture, and Harry at the sound of James's voice, which triggered the dementor memories again.

"I'm surprised it's taken him this long," Remus muttered without lifting his eyes from the book he was reading.

"You wound me, Moony!" Sirius dramatically. Harry gritted his teeth as his head gave a particularly painful throb.

"I'm not sure if I should be proud or offended," James said, half-amused. Harry winced again and went back to massaging his temples.

"I mean it. Be quiet!" he said, his voice strained. James and Sirius didn't seem to hear and resumed their bickering.

"I think you should listen to him," Peter said unexpectedly, though with slight hesitation. He went unnoticed as well except by Remus. Harry felt both of them eying him critically, but he didn't lift his head. Remus noticed right away the physical pain suggested by Harry's posture, and then realized that not only was he unusually pale, but his hands were shaking.

"Shut up!" Remus growled. His voice was not loud, but it cut right through the noise and the two boys immediately fell quiet.

"What's—" Sirius began. Remus cut him off.

"What's _wrong_ , Sirius, is that you're being insensitive. Harry's had one hell of a day, or did you forget about DADA?" he said heatedly. Sirius had the grace to look shamefaced. "Who knows _what_ he heard or saw when that dementor appeared, and he _obviously_ has a bad headache. The _least_ you could do is give him a little peace and quiet." Remus didn't raise his voice, but he was growling, and the glimpse of amber in his usually hazel eyes made for quite an intimidating look.

"They're not _that_ bad, Remus," Harry protested weakly, not wanting to throw a wedge between them. Though the other boy's concern _did_ give him a slightly warm glow.

Remus scoffed at Harry's words. "You're pale as a sheet and your hands are shaking. I'd hardly call that 'not bad'."

"Sorry, Harrison," Sirius said contritely, ignoring Remus's response. Harry couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not.

"Yeah, sorry," James said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "We didn't realize that, well, you _weren't_ perfectly all right."

"That was the point," Harry muttered, but his words went unheard. Though he thought Peter's gaze on him suddenly sharpened, as if he _had_ heard and wasn't happy with the implications of his comment.

"I don't mean to pry, but…what really _did_ happen with that dementor?" Sirius asked, his insatiable curiosity overwhelming any remorse he may have felt.

"That's hardly a question he wants to answer, Padfoot," James said uncomfortably.

"I'm curious, too," Peter said quietly in the brief silence that followed. "I mean…" he trailed off uncertainly, then solidified his determination. "I've never seen anyone have that bad of a reaction before. So what's different about Harry?"

 _Far too many things_ , Harry thought bitterly. James was right—he _didn't_ want to answer that question. "Does it really matter?" he said wearily.

"You should know by now that these two can never leave a question unanswered or a mystery unsolved," Remus said dryly, glaring at the other boys.

"Well, they're going to have to this time, because I'm going to bed," Harry muttered, gathering his books. He ignored the fact that he was getting more lightheaded by the minute and that his hands were shaking slightly as he picked up his things. He stood to head toward the staircase but stumbled before he could even take a step, his head spinning. His books landed with a _thud_ on the floor. Only Remus's quick action kept Harry from doing the same. His vision went fuzzy around the edges with the jolt of Remus catching him. So he missed the pointed look Remus cast at Peter, and the glare that Peter gave James and Sirius when they tried to follow.

Peter's arm wrapped around Harry's waist a second later, supporting him. Leaning on both Peter and Remus, Harry somehow, between the two, managed to make it to his dorm.

Once inside Harry literally collapsed across the nearest bed, his headache worse than ever. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep it off, even as flashes of memory flickered across his mind. Unfortunately, Peter and Remus had other ideas. They sat down on either side of him, Remus's hand resting firmly on Harry's left shoulder.

"What happened down there, Harry?" Peter asked concernedly. "You were fine during Herbology earlier."

Harry shook his head minutely, avoiding excessive movement. He didn't even know how to properly explain this to Tonks, who knew his past, let alone to the Marauders.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked, an unexpected concern in his tone. Like he sympathized…Harry glanced at the other boy. He looked a little paler than normal as well, and Harry realized that the full moon was in just over a week and his symptoms were starting to show. And they were remarkably similar to what Harry was experiencing. So it was no wonder that he had an understanding look on his face.

Harry mumbled something unintelligible and closed his eyes, burying his face in the quilt. From the smell of sweat and grass, he could tell he'd collapsed onto James's bed. It smelled just like the Quidditch pitch.

Instead of the two boys leaving once it was clear Harry was trying to ignore them, Harry felt the same firm hand that had gripped his shoulder now massaging around the base of his neck, making him wince slightly.

"Damn, Harry. You're really tense," Remus muttered.

"You know you can talk to us about whatever's bothering you, or if you're just coming down with something. We're just worried," Peter said, putting his hand on Harry's other shoulder. The two boys exchanged a look that Harry missed as they noticed the streaks of red in his hair that hadn't been there before.

Harry debated and considered it—he really did. But it was far too complicated to explain and Harry was just exhausted. So he mumbled a barely-intelligible "thanks but no thanks" and then fell silent.

After several minutes, Remus squeezed Harry's shoulder before lifting his hand. "We're here for you, Harry, whatever it is," he said and Peter agreed. Then the two left the dorm to rejoin the other two Marauders downstairs.

Once Harry heard the door close, he rolled onto his back, keeping his eyes closed, and was very deliberate in using his Occlumency to lock away the memories. He constructed thick barriers around them, determined not to think about it again. Unfortunately, only partway through the exercise Harry fell asleep on top of the covers, fully dressed and utterly exhausted.


	10. Setting the Stage

Hi everyone! I was slightly disappointed by the lack of reviews for my last chapter. I need your feedback so I can improve my writing! But I do appreciate those of you who have stuck with me the whole time and keep coming back. This is the build-up to Halloween, which I hope you all enjoy because it will be an important moment in the Harry-Marauder friendship. I'm also working on a Christmas-themed one-shot that will fit later into this story but I won't get to before Christmas. So keep your eye out for that!

Enjoy the new chapter, and I look forward to your reviews!

 **Chapter 11 Setting the Stage**

Friday was a long day for Harry. He was still tired, and the mocking from his extreme reaction to the dementor ("it was only a boggart") was just as bad as before. Thankfully he was able to escape it in Herbology, which was sparsely populated as an unpopular NEWT subject and no one cared enough to comment, and Charms, where he received a buffer in the form of all the Marauders plus Tonks, Lily, and their roommates. Tonks, however, picked up on the fact that Harry was still brooding, and after Ancient Runes, when they had a break before dinner, she half-dragged him to a secluded corner of the library.

Tonks sat Harry down at a table and took a seat beside him, an expression on her face that Harry had become very familiar with over the summer. It was the one that said "you talk to me now or I will force it out of you." But she said nothing, as she was learning that asking specific questions was a good way to make Harry shut down.

Harry tried to hold her gaze and deny that anything was wrong, but Tonks's look grew more pointed and finally he looked away. "I can't get the echoes out of my head," he said quietly.

Tonks's expression softened. "What do you hear?"

Harry shook his head. "Not just hear. See, feel, hear, even taste. I hear them begging for their lives, and mine; I see the green light, watch my mum fall; I taste the smoke and the fear. I feel afraid, confused, lost. And pain. So much pain." Harry's voice cracked. He cleared his throat, ignoring the burning in his eyes. "But…I don't understand _why_. I've tried chocolate, I've tried Occlumency. The dementor's effects should have worn off by now. But…every time I hear either of them speak, the memories come back."

Tonks touched Harry's arm, her expression thoughtful. "Have you ever had a chance to really _feel_ the loss? To actually mourn?" she asked after a pause.

Harry opened his mouth, then shook his head and lowered his eyes again. "I don't know _what_ I'm supposed to feel," he said quietly. Tonks squeezed his shoulders but didn't speak again for a long moment.

"Just try to put it out of your mind for now," she finally said. "You'll only hurt yourself if you try to puzzle it out—your brain's not built for puzzles," she teased. Harry scowled halfheartedly and pushed her with his shoulder. Tonks laughed, then stood up. "Why don't we do some training? I bet if nothing else you're annoyed at those idiots who keep bringing it up. You could blow off some steam."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Let's go." Then he led the way to the Room of Requirement. It transformed itself into the familiar yard behind the cottage, with plenty of space. The two began exchanging spells, playfully at first but then more focused until it turned into an outright duel, Harry doing his best to finally beat Tonks. Unfortunately, like always, he started losing simply due to her greater experience and training. Determined not to lose this time, he cast a series of spells that distracted her sufficiently, then he transformed into his animagus form and launched himself across the room to pin Tonks beneath a hundred pounds of red wolf.

She grunted under the weight and tried to shove him off, but Russet just lolled his tongue out in a wolfish grin and laid himself flat across her chest, keeping her from moving. She glared for a moment, but finally she gave up and started laughing as he licked her face.

"Enough, wolf boy," she finally said, still half-laughing, and shoved him off of her. The wolf transformed back into Harry, kneeling beside her and laughing as Tonks wiped wolf saliva off her face, a disgusted grimace not entirely hidden by her laughter. "Brat," she said, whacking his arm. Harry grinned and got to his feet, offering his hand down to pull her up. She took it—then yanked him back down. Harry landed with a surprised grunt. In retaliation he swiped her legs out from under her as Tonks tried to stand. An instant later two animals were wrestling fiercely but playfully, the light brown lynx finally pinning the smaller, lighter wolf to the floor, violet eyes twinkling in a very Tonks-like, mischievous manner.

Harry transformed back into himself. "All right. I surrender," he said, half-laughing. The lynx gave him a calculating look, but finally rolled off of him and turned back into Tonks. She offered her hand and pulled Harry back to his feet.

"Ready for dinner then?" she asked. Harry nodded as his stomach growled, and the two surrogate siblings left the Room of Requirement to head down to the Great Hall for supper.

The next evening, after a long day of homework, Harry was hoping to get to bed early, but he was denied the privilege. Sirius and James—with help from Peter and, surprisingly, Remus—half-dragged Harry out of the tower after the common room had emptied (of a certain red-haired sixth year prefect). Just outside the portrait hole, they pulled Harry aside into a partially-concealed alcove.

"We've talked it over, and we've decided to trust you with one of our Marauder secrets," James began.

"But you have to swear you will never speak of it to _anyone_ without permission," Sirius continued,

"Nor intentionally reveal its existence outside this group," Remus picked up,

"And _solemnly swear you are up to no good_!" Peter finished with a grin.

"Do you so swear?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry tried to hide his amusement and put on a serious face. "I do."

"Then raise your wand and repeat after me," James began. Harry did so. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry repeated, unable to keep his lip from twitching as he spoke the password.

The four boys studied him for a long moment, then finally nodded. "You pass. Now watch and learn," Sirius said, grinning. He pulled a familiar folded parchment from his pocket and placed the tip of his wand in the center. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Harry made it a point to gasp as swirls of ink spread from Sirius's wand tip and webbed across the parchment, filling the familiar outline of Hogwarts with labels and swirling letters that spelled out the names of all the castle's inhabitants. Then Harry really did gasp, in horror, realizing that his cover might very well be blown by the map that never lied and he'd lose everything he'd gained. But no one seemed to notice that his gasp was anything other than amazement.

"Impressive, right?" Sirius said smugly. Harry made himself to stop worrying about the map and what it might be saying his name was and forced himself to smile.

"Very," he said. "Who came up with the password?"

"I did," Peter said, a little shyly. James clapped him on the shoulder.

"He's a right genius, our Wormtail," he said with a smile. Harry barely concealed a cringe at the nickname. He refused to ever call Peter by that name, and the others could wonder all they wanted at the reason why.

"I did the drawing," Remus said with a surprising smugness that rivalled Sirius's. Harry gaped in surprise at humble, meek Remus _boasting_.

"And Sirius and I researched the charms. It took ages, but we finally got it working in our fourth year. Since then it has served us well," James said, giving the parchment an affectionate look that made Harry snort in amusement.

"It's an impressive demonstration of magic, that's for sure. But why are you showing it to me now?" Harry asked.

"Because, dear Harrison," Sirius began, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulders, "we have an elaborate prank to pull off tomorrow, and we have to set it all up without being caught."

"That's where the Marauder's Map comes in," Remus explained. "We can easily avoid the teachers while we work if we keep an eye on it."

"Okay. So what are we going to do tonight?" Harry asked.

"Well, I thought we could split up. We'll cover more ground and get it done faster," James said.

"So me, James, and Harrison will go through the corridors to charm the suits of armor and lay a few other surprises while Peter and Remus can head down to the Great Hall to the pumpkins and the animals. We'll recruit all the ghosts we can find along the way to help fright-ify the prank," Sirius explained.

"Padfoot, 'fright-ify' isn't a real word," Remus pointed out mildly but with a hint of teasing.

"It is now," Sirius retorted. "All right. Since Moony is a prefect, the two of you shouldn't get into too much trouble being in the main areas of the castle," he said, speaking to Peter.

"And the rest of us will take the dark corridors, so we'll take the Map. Let's try to get everything done by midnight, all right?" James asked. "We'll meet back here then."

The others nodded, and Harry nodded belatedly. He hadn't quite wrapped his head around the fact that he was actually going to be part of one of the Marauders' famous pranks, and that he was sneaking out at night not to track down a mysterious stone or snake or hold an illegal defense club, but for no other reason than to make mischief. He was excited.

"Ready?" James stage-whispered.

"Ready," everyone else chorused at the same low volume.

"Then let's go!" James said in an enthusiastic whisper, and the group split up. Remus and Peter headed for the grand staircase down to the Entrance Hall while James, Sirius, and Harry started down the dark corridor. At a whispered suggestion from Harry, they charmed the suits of armor at random—some would jump out when you passed, and others would stay ominously still. Sirius, smirking, charmed a few of the non-jumping ones to turn their heads in the direction of a student's motion.

"You're going to give everyone a heart attack," James whispered, amused.

"That's the point!" Sirius retorted, and Harry barely stifled his laughter.

About thirty minutes later, they'd made their way down to the fourth floor. Most of the professors' offices were on that floor, so they were being extra-careful. But all the care in the world couldn't prevent the detection of the dreaded cat, Mrs. Norris. Panicked, the trio fled as stealthily as they could in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, to make matters worse, as they passed the out-of-order girls' loo, Peeves flew out, cackling, the moaning cries that gave the resident ghost her name echoing down the corridor. The racket brought, of all people, Professor McGonagall running.

Sirius and James immediately ducked into the darkest corner they could find, but before Harry could follow them a wicked and brilliant idea entered his mind, one that would make Tonks the proudest prankster in the world. Ignoring James's and Sirius's harsh whispers after him, Harry darted down a side corridor and pressed himself against the wall. He closed his eyes, concentrating more than he ever had recently, and morphed into Remus Lupin's doppelganger. He'd become familiar enough with the other boy's appearance, even down to the subtle scars across his face and the perpetually tired look. Transfiguring a loose thread into a shiny prefect's badge (which Remus wore everywhere except to bed, despite hardly ever using his authority), Harry took a single deep breath. Then he emerged from the corridor and right into the ruckus. McGonagall was dangerously close to James's and Sirius's hiding place as she scolded Peeves for his behavior.

"What's going on, Professor?" Harry asked, his voice an almost perfect imitation of Remus's.

"Mr. Lupin! What are you doing down here?" McGonagall asked, both surprised and reprimanding at the same time.

"Just finishing my patrol, Professor. What has Peeves done this time?"

McGonagall sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her spectacles up her face a little. "Peeves has upset Myrtle again, I'm afraid. I don't know why Albus hasn't banished him yet. He's worse than your friends."

"I'll deal with him this time. You go on to bed, Professor. It's getting late."

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry—who looked just like Remus—then at Peeves, then back to Harry. "Very well, Mr. Lupin. I'll leave him to you. I certainly wish you luck." The stern professor gave Peeves a fierce glare, prompting him to blow a raspberry in her direction, then she headed back toward her office.

"Peeves," Harry addressed the poltergeist once McGonagall was out of earshot, "How would you like to be part of our Halloween prank?"

Peeves tilted his head to one side, as if considering it. "And what do I get in return?"

Harry smirked a little. "How about some wet-start, no-heat fireworks? But you have to set them off tomorrow when everyone's leaving the Feast, or there's no deal. How about it?"

Peeves flipped upside-down and stared at Harry for a long moment, then his ghostly face broke into a truly frightening grin. "Agreed."

"I'll give you the fireworks tomorrow morning. But don't hurt anyone, all right? And no more disturbances tonight."

"All right," Peeves agreed, then he sped away, cackling once again though at a lower volume.

As soon as the poltergeist was gone, James and Sirius burst from their hiding place.

"Moony!"

"Where did you come from?"

"You saved us!"

"We are forever in your debt!"

"Fireworks?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh, but he didn't want to reveal his metamorphmagus abilities yet, so he continued acting as Remus would. "I had to do something to get him to leave. Or would you rather I let you get detention?" Harry raised one eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Remus's familiar expression.

They both shook their heads frantically. "No, we're good without detention," Sirius said quickly.

"But we owe you one now, Moony," James said.

Harry smirked. "You do. I'm going to go check on Peter; you guys finish up this floor."

"Aye, aye, captain," Sirius replied, saluting.

"Will do," James agreed. And with that Harry left before they could say anything else. He slipped down a corridor once he was out of sight of the other two boys and morphed back into himself—or at least, the Harry they knew. He had a hard time keeping the triumphant grin off his face. Then he took a slightly longer route back to where he left them, making it look like he'd hidden in an abandoned classroom when McGonagall had shown up.

"Harrison!" Sirius was the first to notice his reappearance.

"Where'd you go?" James asked as they resumed charming the suits of armor.

"I didn't think; I just ran," Harry replied. "Found an empty classroom and listened until everything was quiet again. How'd you get out of that?"

"Moony saved us!" Sirius declared. "I don't know where he came from, but he distracted McGonagall _and_ made Peeves leave."

"We'll tell you about it later," James said quietly, glancing nervously down the corridor toward McGonagall's office. Harry nodded and they got back to work.

Within the next forty minutes they finished charming all the suits of armor between the seventh floor and the first, so they headed back upstairs. They made it without any further incidents, though they did have a close call with Filch and Mrs. Norris on the sixth floor. Thankfully there was a secret passage close by they were able to hide in until the caretaker passed, muttering to himself about "those blasted kids."

When James, Sirius, and Harry returned to the common room, it was to find Remus and Peter already there and relaxing in the armchairs by the fire.

"About time you got back. We've been here for ages," Peter said as they approached.

"Did you get everything charmed right?" James asked.

"Of course we did," Remus put in with a huff. "You see, things go much faster when we don't have to put up with two idiots who seem determined to get themselves caught," he said, narrowing his eyes.

James and Sirius immediately started protesting while Harry just sat down by Peter and grinned as Remus continued to lecture them.

"How does it look?" Harry asked Peter, who grinned.

"You can't tell anything is there, but it will all go off with a _bang_ at breakfast tomorrow. Then again at lunch, and again at the Feast," he added with a proud smile.

"Brilliant idea, Pete," Harry praised him. "I can't wait to see it."

"How did your end go?" Peter asked.

"Almost without a hitch. Peeves got in the way, but we bribed him to leave us alone. You'll see how tomorrow," Harry replied, smirking as Peter pouted a little. Then he glanced at the other three, who were now bickering without any end in sight. "What do you say we go to bed?"

Peter nodded, but before he followed Harry he cast a few trick spells on the trio. One activated immediately, making their skin turn red and then more red each time they opened their mouth. The rest, since there was no visible effect, Harry assumed would activate come morning. Smirking, Harry added a few of his own before following Peter up the staircase to the dorm, completely unnoticed by the other three. It was past midnight when they arrived, and much later before the other three returned, to find Peter and Harry already asleep.

In the morning Harry was unpleasantly, but not surprisingly, awoken by not just two, but _three_ bodies jumping on him. He grunted as elbows and knees pressed into his ribs and back, and without moving he cast a wandless stinging jinx at every body part he could reach. In a chorus of yelps and thuds as Sirius, Peter, and James fell off the bed and snorts of laughter from Remus, Harry rolled over onto his back and sat up.

"I warned you that I've been known to curse people when they wake me up," he said warningly, a dangerous glint in his eye. James immediately jumped up and apologized (insincerely). But the gesture was appreciated, even if it was just the boy's way to avoid the punishment he'd experienced the last time—Harry had put a silencing jinx on him for an entire day, and charmed his hair to turn bright pink and sing "I love Lily Evans" whenever the redheaded Gryffindor was nearby. The fact that James flushed the same color as his hair and tripped over his own feet every time she came near after the first two incidents was entirely his own fault. It had taken him nearly a week to get back to his usual confidence level around Lily and start shamelessly flirting again.

The others, unfortunately, hadn't experienced firsthand the pranks Harry was capable of, and merely smirked in triumph. Harry turned his dangerous look on the two of them, promising revenge when they least expected it. Remus caught Harry's eye and gave him a smirk and an approving look. This time Harry sensed that if he asked, Remus would help him exact his revenge.

With one last warning look, Harry grabbed a set of clean clothes and headed into the bathroom to get ready. After he was showered and dressed, he glanced in the mirror, fortifying his permanent morph. But he just couldn't resist the temptation to join in the festivities and turned streaks of his hair orange in honor of the holiday. He'd just tell the others it was a long-lasting color-change charm.

When Harry emerged from the bathroom, he quickly had to dodge out of the way as James and Sirius got into a scuffle over who would get the shower next. Harry rolled his eyes and shoved James into the bathroom and Sirius back into the main room. As it was Sunday, there were no classes, and still plenty of time until breakfast, so Harry sat on his bed with his Occlumency book, skimming through the later chapters as he was nearly done with organizing his memories and was ready to fully engage in the next step.

"Nice hair," Remus commented, joining Harry on the bed. "Getting into the spirit?"

"Yep," Harry replied, smiling. "Care to join me?" he asked, gesturing at the orange streaks. Remus looked thoughtful, then with a smile he cast a color-change charm on his own hair to match Harry's.

"And we can get the others after breakfast," he said with a glint in his eye. "Maybe orange skin, too."

"Plotting? Can I join?" Peter asked. "Nice hair," he added, and charmed his own hair to match.

"Sure you can, Pete," Harry replied, grinning. "If you don't mind being a victim, too. You see, I'm planning my revenge on the three boys who so impolitely woke me this morning. Though, I will show you _some_ mercy."

"I don't mind," Peter replied. "I owe them some revenge, too, for their so-called 'mistake' in Charms that left me with Slytherin green skin and silver hair for a whole day."

"Join the club," Remus replied. Sirius was too busy pounding on the bathroom door and yelling at James to hurry to hear them plotting, so the other three boys put their heads together and started planning.


	11. Halloween

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it! Here's an extra-long chapter for you all to make up for the long wait. Sorry about that! There was a lot to pack in and no logical place to break it. I'll probably update again next Wednesday or Thursday, then the following Saturday and we'll be back on schedule! Enjoy the pranks and the feels, and don't forget to comment!

 **Chapter 12: Halloween**

"Oi! Are you coming for breakfast or not?" Sirius demanded, seeing the three boys still huddled together on Harry's bed.

"Yeah! You'll miss the start of the prank!" James exclaimed.

Remus rolled his eyes while Peter suddenly lit up, excited. "Coming!" They said in unison.

"Harry?" James asked.

Harry was about to answer, then he remembered what he'd promised Peeves the night before. "I'll be down in a few minutes; I forgot something I needed to do this morning," he replied. "Promise. It won't take ten minutes," he added, seeing the pouts on James's and Sirius's faces.

"Fine. We'll wait for you. But don't take too long!" Sirius ordered. Harry couldn't help but smile as they finally left.

Once the door had closed, Harry knelt in front of his trunk and started digging through it for the box of fireworks he knew he had. After some minutes, and creating quite a mess around him, he finally located it at the bottom of his trunk, under his spare cloak and a haphazard stack of books. He pulled it out and stood triumphantly, but in doing so he unbalanced the stack of books beside him that he'd taken out of the trunk during his search. They toppled over with a loud _thud_. Harry grumbled in annoyance but set to putting it right. But as he reached down for the first book, he stopped short with a stifled gasp, his eyes glued to a certain page.

It was the photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, and it had fallen open to the only picture in the whole album that featured all three of them. His mum and dad, and even baby Harry, were waving happily up at him from the black-and-white photo. Harry's knees gave way and he fell hard to the floor, unable to move his eyes from the picture. Memories from three days before—when he'd faced the dementor—crashed into his mind with sudden force. His eyes stung as he realized for the first time that morning just what the day meant for him personally. Halloween—the day his parents were taken from him forever.

Stubbornly forcing back tears, Harry carelessly repacked his trunk and slammed the lid shut, then he kicked it for good measure. He used the resulting pain as a distraction and a tool to push his sudden grief behind strong Occlumency shields. Harry refused to ruin the fun he and the Marauders had planned by being depressed all day. Holding his head high and pointedly retaining his orange-streaked hair, Harry grabbed the box of fireworks and left the tower in search of Peeves.

Harry found the Poltergeist before long. He was already wreaking his own brand of Halloween havoc in the main corridor by dropping water bombs on anyone who passed. Harry deflected one aimed his way and raised the box of fireworks

"Truce!" he called. Peeves came up short and eyed Harry suspiciously.

"What does New Boy want with Peeves?" the poltergeist asked, readying another water bomb.

"I come in behalf of Remus Lupin. I brought the promised fireworks," Harry said. "You had a deal, remember? In return for leaving us alone today, you get to help us with our Halloween prank."

Peeves suddenly looked delighted. "I remember."

"Don't forget, you're not to set them off until after dinner. Okay?" Harry said.

"Agreed," Peeves said with a dangerous smirk, and he took the box of fireworks from Harry.

"I can't wait for the show," Harry said with a wink, then he turned and hurried down the corridor.

Harry arrived in the Great Hall a little over five minutes later and took his seat beside Remus, breathing a little heavily. The Hall was decked out for Halloween, with orange and black candles. There were also quite a few pumpkins charmed to float high above the tables, and many of them also had candles inside.

"You're late," Sirius said pointedly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But I didn't miss anything, did I?" Harry asked, grinning because he knew they wouldn't set off the prank without him.

"Nope. But now that you're here, we'd better do it soon before the Hall starts to empty," James pointed out. "Ready, Moony? Wormtail?"

"Ready," they both answered, wearing matching grins. They exchanged a look and cautiously slipped their wands from their sleeve and whispered the activation spell.

Instantaneously, a third of the pumpkins hovering above the Hall exploded in a shower of orange and black confetti and small, wrapped sweets with a spectacular and, frankly, frightening screeching sound reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. Most of the students covered their ears with their hands as it echoed throughout the Hall. As the sound faded, students began to exclaim in protest and surprise as they realized that confetti was raining down on them and getting on _all_ the food.

The moment the screeching noise stopped, Professor McGonagall got to her feet, sweeping her eyes across the Hall for the culprits. By now most students were laughing and cheering in the holiday, though, and it was impossible to tell through the chaos who the culprits were. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter were among those cheering the loudest while Harry just laughed and grinned along with them. As the excitement began to die, though, the confetti suddenly rose from the tables and floor and swirled around the air for a moment, looking like a colorful tornado, before spelling out the words "Happy Halloween!" and exploding outward once again across the entire Hall.

Everyone was laughing now, and they happily spelled away the confetti in order to continue their breakfast. Remus and Peter grinned at each other and subtly high-fived under the table.

"Well done," James said quietly. He was grinning widely. Sirius nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Just wait until lunch," Remus muttered, still smirking. James's and Sirius's eyes widened, then all four of them shared a conspiratorial grin. Harry felt slightly left out as he watched their exchange, but he smiled, too. He noticed a wide grin on Tonks's face, and when she caught his eye she gave him an approving nod. Harry also noticed that the her roommates were grinning as well. Lily looked like she was fighting a smile as she kept glancing back toward where the Marauders were sitting. It was clear she knew whose work it had been and was trying hard to stay aloof.

Finally breakfast ended and the students began filtering out of the Great Hall. Then the screams began. James, Sirius, and Harry exchanged a look and shared a grin. A few students burst back into the Great Hall, exclaiming about how the suits of armor were alive and had jumped out at them. Through the open door Harry also heard the tell-tale cackle of Peeves as he laughed madly, pelting students with water bombs and scaring them further with the surprise of cold water suddenly bursting over their heads.

"Shall we go, then?" James asked. The others nodded and the five boys stood and walked bravely through the corridors back toward Gryffindor tower. There were groups of students—mostly Gryffindors—making the trek as well, but the younger students were huddled together in clumps. Older students tried to walk casually but it was clear their hands were tight around their wands. Peter was startled a few times by the suits of armor along their path, as the others had forgotten to make themselves immune.

Even though it was Sunday and there were no classes, there were still quite a few students traversing the halls. It was a nice day outside, if a bit chilly, so many students headed outside. Quite a few also gathered in the library and other common areas of the castle to study, so the suits of armor got quite a lot of complimentary screams.

At lunchtime, Peter and Remus set off their prank again. The confetti exploded again from another third of the pumpkins hovering above the Great Hall, only this time the explosion was accompanied by an eerie howl that echoed through the Hall for the entire two hours of the lunch period, putting many students on edge. But the confetti spelled out "Happy Halloween" again just before the end of the meal, exploding outward in a shower of sparks, which cheered them.

Harry watched in amusement as, on their way back to Gryffindor tower, students would continuously look over their shoulders and jump at unexpected movement from any source—including their friends. Peeves's continuous bombardment of students with water bombs—Harry was convinced he'd somehow put a multiplying charm on them, because there was no way he could have so many otherwise—made for chaos in the corridors the entire day.

The teachers were all on high alert as well, looking to catch the culprits. But the Marauders were subtle enough that they escaped detection—especially as each of them were startled by the armor at least once. As Remus explained it, they'd learned to include themselves in widespread pranks like this in their second year, after they'd been put in detention countless times for not being careful enough.

A few hours before dinner, during a lull in the excitement as the Marauders found themselves in the common room, Harry and Remus finally struck with the prank they'd planned that morning. At the very moment the three boys were paying the least attention, Harry and Remus silently and subtly cast their spells.

Sirius's hair fluffed out like a lion's mane around his head and turned bright orange streaked with black and James's hair simply stuck out straight from his head, looking like he'd just stuck his finger in an electric socket. When they noticed and began to protest, they found themselves unable to form words. Sirius gave a pathetic-sounding roar, sounding like a lion with a head cold, and James squeaked like a mouse—which made Peter burst into hysterics, remembering all the times he'd been teased about his animagus form. Peter just turned orange and black, from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet, robes and everything.

Remus and Harry burst out laughing as the two boys tried to protest. As others in the common room saw what was going on, they joined in the laughter. Tonks and, shockingly, Lily, added their own spells to the mix. Tonks gave Sirius a lion's tail with a pumpkin-shaped tuft of fur at the end, in keeping in the spirit of Halloween, and Lily gave James some conjured mice friends that nested in his hair and would not move.

"The pranksters will get pranked," Lily said when James gave her a look of utter disbelief and betrayal. "It's only fair. Remember the time you turned _my_ hair orange?" She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

James looked slightly frightened and backed down from her. Sirius gave Tonks a pleading (and flirtatious) look that she shot down with a scary glint in her eye Harry had seen many a time before. It promised further retribution.

After some time, the two boys finally gave up and just adopted a resigned look of misery while everyone around them laughed. And though they begged when dinnertime came, Remus and Harry refused to remove the spells. Peter was allowed to change his robes back to their normal color, but he elected to keep the orange hair and skin. Then the group headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.

In the corridor, Harry subtly charmed a few suits of armor to follow the two boys. When they spun around, looking for their pursuer, the armor appeared in perfectly normal spots along the wall. When James and Sirius turned around again, the armor resumed following them. This happened over and over again, the two boys growing increasingly nervous. Finally, right outside the Great Hall where a large crowd of students had gathered to make their way inside, Harry charmed the two suits of armor to jump out at the two boys. They both screamed, the high-pitched sound echoing off the walls, then quickly dissolved into congested roaring and squeaking as the prank from before took effect again. The entire Entrance Hall burst into laughter and the two boys, red-faced, entered the Great Hall with the other boys.

The feast that was laid out was spectacular. All kinds of food were spread across the tables, and there were even more candles than before. Jack-o-lanterns hovered around the entire Hall, the orange light from their candles the only illumination. It made for a very eerie effect, and ominous shadows chased each other over the walls. The waxing gibbous moon shone down from the charmed ceiling. Harry noticed Remus shudder slightly as the silver light touched him, but he shook it off quickly.

Subdued chatter filled the hall, an ominous whisper that swept across the open space like wind over dry leaves. The five boys waited until the tension and expectation in the air was tangible, and then a little longer, before, in unison, they waved their wands and the entire hall exploded with sound. Several people screamed. More confetti rained down, this time charmed to feel cold as it landed on the back of their necks.

The accompanying sound was a cacophony of shrieking, cawing, howling, and rattling. At almost the exact same moment, as they'd planned, all the ghosts in the castle (Peeves and his water bombs leading the charge) surged through the Hall. They were accompanied by a rush of wings, and hundreds of conjured bats soared into the Hall as well, some of them landing on people's heads. Those students' frustrated and terrified shrieks echoed through the hall and added to the chaos. There were a lot more ghosts than Harry had ever suspected, and more than enough to terrify those who were unused to the sight of them and discomfit even those who were. In short, the entire Great Hall was in chaos. The four Marauders and Harry were having a hard time keeping their laughter in check, even as goosebumps rose on their arms. Even _they_ had not expected everything to turn out the way it had.

"Potter! Black! Lupin! Pettigrew!" Professor McGonagall's furious voice, enhanced by the _sonorous_ charm, cut through the cacophony of screams and howls.

The four named boys jumped and terrified looks spread across their faces. They exchanged looks, contemplating making a run for it.

"Now, Minerva. They're only helping us get into the Halloween spirit." Dumbledore's voice, though no louder than normal, cut through the chaos just as effectively.

"They've spread _chaos_ through the castle! This is unacceptable!"

"Very impressive charm work, though," Flitwick's squeaky voice replied, his approval clear. Harry glanced at the teachers' table, and everyone but McGonagall and Filch were obviously trying to conceal their grins.

McGonagall ignored the diminutive professor and stomped toward the Gryffindor table. Harry heard James gulp, and Peter looked terrified. Remus was doing his best to hide his nerves. Sirius was, too. Covertly, Harry slipped his wand back up his sleeve and did his best to look innocent. From the barely concealed snort to his left where Tonks was sitting, he was sure he was failing.

The screams had faded and most of the Hall was now watching with rapt attention. The only sounds now were the rushing of the bat wings and the echoing but fading screeches that remained from the initial explosion.

"Messrs. Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew: What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Three of them exchanged a nervous look, but the other spoke, cool and calm, with a pleasant smile. "Happy Halloween, Professor McGonagall."

Harry choked, trying not to laugh, and heard several people nearby do the same. McGonagall looked aghast.

"Mr. Lupin! I cannot believe— _what_ you think—" Then she cleared her throat. "Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Mr. Lupin, and _all_ of you will serve two week's detention with me."

"But Professor!" James began, only it came out as a squeak. Harry choked back another laugh—his prank from earlier was still in effect. James's face turned a deep pink in embarrassment while McGonagall took another five points from Gryffindor. Harry did his best to subtly remove at least the voice-altering charm he'd cast on both boys—as amusing as it was, he didn't want them to lose any more points when it wasn't their fault.

"No 'buts,' Mr. Potter. The four of you will serve your first detention _tonight_ , immediately following the feast. They all looked about to protest, but realizing the futility of it they simply nodded their heads contritely. Then the professor turned on Harry. He tried not to gulp and put on his best poker face. "Mr. Carter, did you have any part in this?" she asked sternly.

"No, Professor," Harry answered, surprising himself with how confident he sounded. "Though I certainly enjoyed it," he added as an afterthought. "It really is some amazing spellwork, isn't it?"

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, clearly searching for any sign of deception, but Harry worked his Occlumency as best he could. Finally the professor spoke. "Very well. But if I find out you've lied, you will serve _twice_ the detention they are."

"Of course, Professor," Harry replied. "I'll try to keep them in line."

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw the gaping looks of disbelief from the other boys, and he had to hide his smile. "See that you do," McGonagall said.

"Now that that is taken care of, do let us enjoy this feast. I daresay it is a magnificent one," Dumbledore said cheerfully. McGonagall glowered, though at Dumbledore's comment or at the Marauders Harry couldn't tell. But she walked away, and the other four boys visibly relaxed.

"How is that fair?" Sirius protested in an undertone.

Harry shrugged. "I just have a better poker face than you, I guess," he replied.

"Why'd you throw us under the bus?" Peter asked, looking betrayed. Though, there was still mirth in his eyes, and Harry knew that none of them were truly mad.

"Really? _I've_ denied involvement in a prank dozens of times and gotten away with it. This is hardly anything new," Remus said. "Though," he added, looking at Harry, an ominous glint in his amber eyes, "That doesn't mean _they_ let me get away with it." The friendly tone was a poor mask for the warning.

"Do your worst. I can take it," Harry challenged, grinning. Then he spelled the confetti off a plate of mashed potatoes and served himself some, ignoring the other boys' protests.

"Well done, kid," Tonks said in an undertone, grinning approvingly. "I didn't know you could lie so effectively."

"Occlumency helps," Harry replied at the same volume. He went unheard even by those in the vicinity as chatter resumed, filling the hall with a cheerful murmur of voices. All except Remus, whose enhanced hearing at this particular time of month brought Harry's words to him loud and clear.

"Whose idea was it to get the ghosts involved?" Tonks asked.

"Mine," Harry admitted proudly. "Right after my idea about mini werewolves to go with the bats was shot down."

"I wonder why," Tonks said with a slight smile. Harry just grinned back and returned to his food, leaving Remus feeling rather uncomfortable about the whole thing.

The rest of the meal passed peacefully (well, as peaceful as it could be with ghosts still hovering around and bats still landing on people's heads and in their food). The excitement began to mount again as the meal drew to an end, and the Marauders did not disappoint. Already condemned, they openly charmed the confetti to swirl around the hall once before spelling out, once again, "Happy Halloween!" The words continued to hover above the feast as the food disappeared. There was a loud scraping as everyone got to their feet. Just as the doors opened, the words exploded with a _bang_ and a shower of sparks. Only, the bangs continued after the confetti disappeared.

Uneasy looks were exchanged as the students crowded out into the hallway. Screams then began to echo back, accompanied by more bangs and flashes of light, and Harry grinned to himself. "What's going on?" Remus asked. "This wasn't part of the plan, was it?"

"What do you mean? This was your idea," James answered.

" _My_ idea? I never said _anything_ about fireworks!"

"But…it was you who made the deal with Peeves. You told him you'd give him fireworks to set off after dinner if he left us alone today," Sirius replied, and Harry could see where this was going. He cautiously began easing his way away from the four boys.

"And when, exactly, did I make this deal?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Last night, not long after curfew. You saved us from getting caught by McGonagall," James said.

Peter shook his head. "He was with me the whole time last night."

"But…then, who—" James began, then he and Sirius exchanged a look.

"Harrison!" Sirius yelled over the noise of the crowd. James spotted him slipping between two seventh year Ravenclaws and made chase, Sirius right behind him.

Harry fled, half terrified and half exhilarated. He led them right out into the Entrance Hall, where colorful fireworks were exploding everywhere. He slipped on the wet floor, nearly falling, and looked up to see Peeves throwing a handful of fireworks into the air before nailing them with one of his water bombs, causing them to go off in a spectacular shower of sparks. He smelt charred fabric and realized Peeves wasn't very particular about where he threw the fireworks.

"Who gave Peeves fireworks?" McGonagall shouted over the hubbub.

Peeves tipped his hat before tossing another firework and water bomb into the air—right above Professor McGonagall. "T'was a gift, Professor," he said as she sputtered, a shower of green sparks erupting behind her. "From the new boy," he added with an evil smirk. Harry felt a stab of betrayal and silently promised retribution on the poltergeist before fleeing up the Grand Staircase.

"Mr. Carter!" McGonagall shouted across the crowd. Harry kept running, and he heard people laugh and call after him as he passed. He resigned himself to being as infamous as the Marauders for his stunt with the fireworks and kept running.

He arrived at the tower minutes later and sank to the floor to catch his breath. As his breathing slowed, he realized his mind was buzzing. The entire day had been one thing after another and he needed to calm his mind. So, once his breathing had evened out, Harry entered the tower. He graciously accepted the congratulations and compliments on his prank with the fireworks from the students who had already arrived. Some of them were wet and there were burn marks on their robes, but they were all grinning. Harry thanked them and retreated up to the dorm.

Once inside, Harry took off his robe and his shoes and loosened his tie before settling cross-legged in the middle of his bed. He didn't bother to close the hangings, figuring the Marauders would be late getting back and not counting on taking too much time anyway. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and slipped into his meditative trance.

Beginning with his wild flight from McGonagall, Harry worked backward through the day, laughing to himself at the antics they'd gotten up to. Then he got to that morning just before leaving the dorm and felt a jolt at remembering the open photo album. Swallowing hard, Harry pushed on, and once he got through with that day, Harry figured he might as well just finish up. He only had his earliest memories left to sort, so he continued backward from the time he was about two.

As he moved backward, Harry began to encounter ones he hadn't even realized he had. Flashes and impressions from his first few days with the Dursleys, being poked and prodded by Dudley, who was just as chubby as he would have expected. He also recalled with some amusement the entire ride from the ruined house in Godric's Hollow to Surrey in Sirius's motorbike with Hagrid, the one he had dreamed about so often as a kid. He deliberately skipped over that terrible night, though, and went back further. He searched hopefully for earlier memories, memories of his parents. And he caught his breath as images began to form.

 _Lying in his crib, tugging on the long, dark red waves that were his mother's hair while a soft, smiling soprano voice sang a lullaby, while a gentle tenor voice harmonized to it._

 _Laughing as a large black dog licked his face. Crying in mirth as he slid down the back of a large stag. Giggling as a man with tawny hair and a scarred face made faces at him. All while a slender, beautiful redhead smiled down at them._

 _His toes skimming the floor as he raced around the living room on his very first broom, a wide grin on his face. Laughter from three men while his mother scolded them but with a smile. A crash, a broken vase, quickly repaired with the wave of a wand, while his mother fussed over him, making sure he was okay._

There were others, dozens of others. Sometimes with the other Marauders, but _always_ with at least one of his parents. Harry's heart swelled and constricted at the same time as he stored these memories with the utmost care. He ignored the stab of loss he felt with each memory that flashed through his mind, instead savoring each second. His chest tightened painfully with each one until, finally, here was nothing more but a powerful but subtle feeling of being warm, safe, and loved in his mother's arms. Then Harry took a deep breath and broke through the halfhearted barriers he'd constructed around that Halloween and let the memory take him over.

 _Colored smoke rings floated around him. He giggled happily as he grabbed for the funny stick that created them. But the tall, dark-haired man kept moving it away from him, a grin on his bespectacled face. A high, musical laugh came from nearby. The toddler looked toward the sound, and emerald green eyes smiled at him, sparkling with happiness and love._

" _He needs to go to bed now, James."_

" _Ah, Lils! Just a few more minutes? He's having fun!"_

 _The redhead rolled her eyes. "I think you're enjoying this more than he is."_

 _James shrugged, yawning and leaning back against the couch. The toddler made a grab for the temporarily abandoned wand. Gold and green sparks flew out of the end of it before the young father snatched it away from him with a laugh._

" _Not with mummy here; she'll tan my hide," he whispered conspiratorially. "All right, Lily, You win. Bedtime," James conceded in a normal voice. The redhead's expression turned teasingly triumphant as she lifted the little boy off the couch. "Good night, love," James said, leaning in for a kiss._

" _Good night, you overgrown child," she responded affectionately._

 _James laughed and planted a sloppy kiss on the toddler's head. "G'night, Pronglet."_

 _A noise. A knock. The mood changed instantly, from light to tense._

" _It's Him! Lily, take Harry and go!"_

" _But—"_

" _Go! I'll hold him off!"_

" _James—"_

Crash _._

" _I love you!"_

" _I love you, too," came the choked reply._

 _Thudding steps up the stairs. Shouts from below. The toddler began to cry, frightened and confused._

 _A low_ thud _, a muffled sob. Being placed in his crib._

" _Mummy and Daddy love you, Harry. Don't ever forget, Mummy loves you," came the soft but frantic whisper._

 _Another_ crash _. Lily spun to face the threat. "Not Harry! Please, not Harry!"_

" _Step aside, you silly girl," said the red-eyed man. "It needn't end like this."_

" _No. Not Harry. Please, take me. Kill me instead!"_

" _Stand_ aside _, girl!_

" _No! Kill me if you want, but, please, not Harry! Not my baby!"_

" _Very well._ Avada Kedavra! _"_

 _A high-pitched, terrified scream. Another_ thud _._

" _Mummy?" the toddler asked, not understanding what he had just witnessed._

" _Now for you, you little brat._ Avada Kedavra! _"_

 _A high, cold, cruel laugh. A flash of blinding green light. Pain. Another scream, long, drawn-out, terrible. Then everything went black._

Harry choked back a sob as he realized he was crying. Tears streaked his face and he couldn't breathe. The images still floated around his consciousness. The happiness he'd felt most of the day was gone, completely and utterly, and in its place was the most profound grief Harry had ever felt. His body was shaking and it was taking everything he had to keep quiet. It was a terrible feeling, discovering something he'd longed for after so long, only to watch it all come crashing down moments later.

Right as Harry was pulling himself back together, the door opened and laughter carried back to him.

"You just _had_ to make us go all-out," Remus grumbled.

"Oh, come on. You have to admit it was worth it," Sirius replied, playfully pushing Remus aside.

"I think it was," Peter said, grinning widely.

"Defin—" James began, then he cut himself off. The others followed his gaze and immediately fell quiet. "H-Harry? Are you okay?"

Harry looked up at the voice and almost choked. The concerned look on James's face—literally only _minutes_ ago, he'd watched this boy, his _father_ , only slightly older than he was now, fall beneath Voldemort's wand.

"Harrison?" Sirius asked, genuine concern and worry in his voice, not a trace of humor remaining. Harry couldn't even bear to look in his direction.

"Harry?" Remus asked, tentatively putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"We weren't _that_ mean, were we?" Peter asked, but his humor fell flat. Harry bit the inside of his cheek, doing his best to fight back the tears that burned his eyes.

"Harry?" James's voice seemed to come from far away. Harry's breath hitched and he forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to get his hands to stop shaking. He felt James sit down on the bed beside him, and someone else—Remus—sat on his other side. But no one else spoke, and Harry was glad because it gave him a moment to get a handle on his emotions. But it was hard, oh, so hard. It was several moments before he could trust himself to speak, and even longer to convince himself that he wanted to.

"My-my parents…they were killed on—on Halloween," he managed. Glimpses of memory flashed through his mind and his breath caught again. The boys made various noises of comprehension but no one commented. Finally Harry managed to control his breathing and wiped his face with his sleeve, drying the tears that streaked his face. "I usually remember them, miss them, on Halloween…but, not this badly," he said softly, his voice not quite steady. He felt two more bodies settle onto the bed around him and a hand touched his shoulder and squeezed gently.

"It's okay to miss them, you know," Remus said. Harry shrugged halfheartedly, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"I know we aren't exactly best friends yet, but…we're here for you, Harry," James said quietly, squeezing Harry's other shoulder. Harry squeezed his eyes shut; James's words, his voice so similar to the voice that had pleaded for his life, it was too much for him. He didn't realize it, but another tear slipped down his cheek and suddenly Harry found himself in the middle of a knot of Marauders. Each of them touched or embraced him in some fashion.

Harry shuddered and his breath caught. He so desperately wanted to just give in and give voice to the pain, but he didn't even like it when _Tonks_ saw him crying; he was hardly going to do it here voluntarily. So he employed every bit of Occlumency he knew, forcing back those memories and trying to gain control of his emotions. Finally he managed it. His body stopped its trembling and the tears ceased. As he regained control, the others let go and pulled away one by one. All but James. He started to, then he glimpsed Harry's face and immediately pulled him back into a firm hug.

Unconsciously, Harry returned the hug with more force than he really needed to, surreptitiously inhaling deeply and breathing in his father's scent. His breathing was still unsteady, but the feel of his father's embrace—even if James was only a teenager at the moment—was exactly what Harry needed. Something passed between them, something they both felt but only Harry understood. It was a feeling of connection, belonging, of father and son reunited. The others exchanged a look as Harry's hair turned from black streaked with orange to a dark auburn. James tightened his embrace briefly before letting go.

"Are you going to be okay?" James asked, his hand still on Harry's shoulder.

Harry took a deep breath, forcing himself to look at each of the other boys before answering. They all had varying looks of concern and sympathy, but Sirius's, somewhat surprisingly, looked the most understanding. "I think so," Harry replied, his voice finally steady but still unusually quiet. He turned away to wipe his tears, and as such missed the look the others exchanged when his hair turned back to black. "Thanks, guys…for understanding," Harry said after a moment of silence, slightly embarrassed.

"What are friends for?" Peter said with a smile and a shrug.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "It's only fair that we help you with your issues when you help us with ours." Harry knew he was referring to the time Harry had accidentally seen the scars on Sirius's back, results of his parents' mistreatment, and the resulting conversation.

"We're here for you, Harry," Remus said, squeezing Harry's shoulder again.

"We promise," James added, also squeezing Harry's shoulder.

"Thanks," he replied with a somewhat shaky smile.

"No problem," Sirius declared.

"I know it's none of my business, but…" James began after a moment of silence. "I have to ask, why _is_ it worse this time?"

Harry concealed a sigh. He was exhausted, and the memories were still floating around the edges of his memory, just waiting for a reason to assault him again. But he figured, after watching him nearly fall apart, not to mention the way he'd ignored them after the dementor incident, they had a right to know. "You remember the dementor in DADA?" Harry began quietly, not looking up. He sensed their nods and noises of affirmation. James squeezed his shoulder again—he hadn't let go even once since he came in. "I was in the house when my parents were murdered. I—I watched the whole thing." Harry's voice caught, and all of them gasped. "The dementor made me relive it. And the memories from it are still fresh," he finished softly. His voice cracked and Harry looked away, tears burning his eyes again.

"Godric," Sirius breathed.

"I'm sorry I asked," James said softly, his hand tightening again on Harry's shoulder.

"Thank you for trusting us, and enough to tell us your worst memory," Remus said guiltily, but Harry only caught it because he knew that, at the moment, the trust did not go both ways, at least not for Remus.

"We're here for you," Peter said, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder. Then four pairs of arms encircled Harry once again. Harry relaxed into their embrace, laying his head on Remus's shoulder because he was closest.

For a long while, none of them moved or spoke. Then Sirius broke the silence. "That was one hell of a prank we pulled," he said, grinning. He was answered by four different laughs, though one was a little shaky still.

"Great job, Marauders," James said, grinning. He nudged Harry with his shoulder, indicating that Harry was included in his comment, and Harry's throat tightened at the implied acceptance.

"By the way, Harry, you have three weeks of detention with McGonagall for what you pulled with Peeves and the fireworks," Remus commented with a smirk.

" _Three weeks!_ " Harry burst out, breaking the circle. "But I didn't even do anything!"

Remus shrugged, but the smirk didn't go away. "That's what you get for conspiring with a poltergeist and lying to a professor." Harry gave a wordless cry of frustration and tackled Remus. They both tumbled off the bed, wrestling. "Oi!" Remus grunted, trying to push Harry off him. "I'm just the messenger!"

"So I won't hex you," Harry replied with a shrug, pinning the other boy beneath him. Remus's amber eyes glinted dangerously and suddenly Harry was the one pinned. James, Sirius, and Peter just laughed and proceeded to ready themselves for bed, ignoring the grunts and cries from the two boys wrestling on the floor.


	12. Full Moon

First I want to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter posted. The last two weeks have been really busy and I just started a new semester at school. But I should be back on the regular update schedule from now on! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave your comments. Your reviews motivate me to improve and to write better!

 **Chapter 13 Full Moon**

The next few days following Halloween were mostly uneventful, but Harry discovered himself to be the object of nearly as much praise and admiration as the others, thanks to his Halloween stunt. He hadn't really even done anything! Tonks, however, expressed her pride in his accomplishment, which made him feel slightly better. Even the teachers were pleased. Harry was fairly certain they all believed he was involved in the prank during the feast as well as the aftermath, and they were quite impressed. Everyone, that is, but Professor McGonagall.

She seemed to take it as a personal offense that Harry had lied so convincingly to her, and even though it was Peeves who set off the fireworks, she clearly blamed Harry for giving him the explosives in the first place. His first detention with her Monday night was awful. Granted, it was not as bad as scraping cauldrons or carving into the back of his own hand, but marking essays was a nightmare. Harry couldn't believe how many third years just could not understand the concept of something as simple as a switching spell, and how many fifth years either didn't know how to spell or simply didn't bother. Trying to read the handwriting of first-year muggleborns was even worse, and Harry regretted putting his own teachers through such a trial (his scrawl at the beginning of his first year had been terrible).

McGonagall seemed to take pleasure in making Harry work, at the same time exploiting the fact that he was one of the top students in his year (second only to James). While he marked the essays, she also lectured him on honesty and responsibility. By the end of that first detention, Harry was _almost_ ready to swear off pranking and mischief-making altogether because she made him feel so guilty. That is, until he saw her lips twitching as she lectured on the aftermath of the prank. He always knew there was a reason Professor McGonagall was his favorite teacher.

"Next time just take your punishment and don't try to charm your way out of it," McGonagall said as he was leaving that first night.

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered with a faint smile. Her lips turned a little less thin.

"Good night, Mr. Carter."

"Good night, Professor," Harry replied, then he returned to the dormitory.

He was surprised to find that he was the first of the Marauders back. Tonks was chatting with Lily and Marlene while Alice and Mary worked on homework together, but when Harry entered Tonks got up, grabbed Harry's arm, and led him to the Room of Requirement.

"Joselyn, what—" Harry said as she dragged him out of the common room. Only once they were inside the Room did she answer.

"I'm not blind. I can tell you haven't been yourself today. What's going on?" she asked.

Harry opened his mouth to deny it, but Tonks's pointed look stopped the words on his lips. He looked down, and didn't resist when his sister pulled him along and sat him down on a sofa. She sat beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. After a long moment, Harry finally spoke.

"Since the dementor…those memories have been really close to the surface. And last night I finished the first step of Occlumency—sorting your memories and organizing your mind. The last memory I sorted…was that one. And with it being Halloween…" Harry trailed off. The grief wasn't nearly as crushing as it had been the previous evening, but he still felt pretty down when nothing distracted him. Tonks must have picked up on it.

Without a word Tonks pulled him into a hug. Harry hid his face against her neck, not crying but still grieving. He couldn't help but marvel at how far they had come, from Tonks being simply the clumsy member of his rescue party before his fifth year to becoming his sister in everything but blood, the one who knew him better than anyone; even, perhaps, better than Ron or Hermione. She tightened her arms around him and Harry felt himself relax.

"You may not have proper parents, but you _do_ have a family," she said quietly. Harry nodded into her neck, unwilling to pull away. He felt her rest her cheek on top of his head, and several minutes later felt her press a kiss to his messy hair.

A moment later Harry pulled away, drying the few tears that had slipped out, and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Tonks," he said sincerely.

Tonks smiled. "Anything for my little brother," she said, ruffling his hair. "Someone has to keep an eye on you. Or you'll wind up in detention again."

Harry chuckled. "I'm in detention for three whole weeks," he replied. "I think I'm good on that front for a while."

Tonks smirked. "I hope so. By the way, I heard the other boys talking about how Remus was the one who made the deal with Peeves, and yet he couldn't remember doing any such thing. And _you_ were the one to deliver the package…" She trailed off pointedly, raising one eyebrow.

Harry couldn't help but grin. "I may or may not have morphed into Remus and transfigured a prefect badge to save myself and James and Sirius from being caught out after curfew that night," he said, sheepishly but also with some pride.

"Did you now," she stated, but her lips twitched.

"I did," Harry replied firmly, still smirking.

"Then I officially welcome you to the ranks of metamorphmagus pranksters, the best in the world," Tonks declared, grinning. "Speaking of, are you ever going to tell them?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. They might suspect—I know my hair changed color the other night when they came in after I finished my Occlumency. But they haven't said anything, and until they do, I won't."

Tonks nodded. "Sounds good. Well, we should probably get back to the tower—it's nearly curfew."

"I could always morph into Remus again," Harry offered, but Tonks shook her head.

"That skill is to be used in the execution of pranks only," she ordered playfully. "Come on," she said, and led the way out of the Room of Requirement and back to Gryffindor tower.

Tuesday went much the same, though for detention Professor McGonagall roped both Harry _and_ James into tutoring some of the younger years who were struggling. Harry didn't mind it too much, as it reminded him of the DA and how much fun he'd had with them. James, however, clearly wished he was scraping cauldrons or polishing trophies. Sirius's detention was to sit in absolute silence for as long as possible while Remus marked essays and Peter scraped gum and other detritus off the bottoms of the desks and chairs. It was clearly torture for the Black heir, though Harry found it amusing.

Wednesday Remus started more obviously showing the signs of the upcoming full moon. He tired more easily and he was easily irritated. Harry did his best not to annoy him. At the same time, Harry had also made up his mind to confront Remus about him being a werewolf before the full moon that weekend. He was more obvious about his suspicions, so it would be less of a shock when Harry finally confronted them.

Thursday he deliberately left out a lunar chart, copied from James's Astronomy homework, and a book on magical creatures open to the pages on how to identify werewolves both in their human and wolf forms. Below the lunar chart, with the full moons circled and the dates written down, Harry began a list of symptoms he'd seen Remus show. Then he deliberately left all of it out while he went up to the dormitory to retrieve another book. When he came back down to the common room, he saw Sirius and Peter huddled around the papers Harry had left out. Harry deliberately made a little extra noise and saw them move guiltily away. Then Harry sat down and started casually flipping pages toward the back until he found the section on dementors so he could work on the DADA essay Professor Dean had assigned after the boggart-dementor incident and that was due the coming Monday.

Remus, who was also present, watched Harry worriedly most of the evening after discovering the lunar chart. But when he saw Harry shiver involuntarily as he worked on the dementor essay, Remus realized that regardless of his suspicions, Harry was still his friend (at least for now). So Remus moved his things closer so that their shoulders or elbows occasionally brushed when Harry turned a page, or Remus reached the end of a line on his essay. He caught several grateful looks, without a hint of suspicion in his eyes, from Harry.

Friday, the day of the full moon, did not start out well. Everyone woke up on time, except for Remus. Because they knew it was full moon, they let him sleep, and Harry pretended not to notice that Remus was still asleep at the time they usually headed down for breakfast.

"Shouldn't someone wake Remus?" Peter asked the room at large as they were about to head down. Sirius put his hands up.

"I'm not going to. You know how he gets, especially—" Sirius cut himself off with a grunt when James elbowed him in the ribs. Harry tried not to smile and pretended not to notice.

"I'll do it," Harry replied, shrugging. "He'd be furious if we let him sleep through classes today."

"Your funeral, mate," James replied, grinning. "We'll save you both a spot at breakfast. Come on, Padfoot, Wormtail."

"Be careful. He doesn't like being woken up," Peter warned.

"That makes two of us," Harry replied with a pointed look at the three of them. Sirius and James paled a little and hightailed it out of the room with Peter on their heels, slower and smirking.

Hesitantly, Harry made his way over to Remus's bed and pulled the hangings aside, letting the sunlight shine across the boy's sleeping form. "Time to get up, Remus," Harry said, gently shaking his shoulder. His answer was a low groan and a possible curse word—Harry couldn't tell. "Come on, or you'll miss class."

Remus groaned again and shifted before finally, slowly, pushing himself up. As soon as he sat up, though, his face turned green and Harry conjured a basin just in time, not realizing until after the fact that he'd done it wandlessly. Remus retched violently for a long minute. Harry wrinkled his nose against the smell and put his hand on Remus's back, rubbing gently, until he finished.

"Are you okay, Remus?" Harry asked quietly, concerned because his face now glistened with a sheen of sweat.

"Ugh," the other boy grunted, and Harry realized that he was shaking. Harry vanished the basin full of sick, with his wand this time, and helped Remus sit up straighter. His face was pale as a sheet.

"If you can stand, I'd suggest a shower. The hot water will help," Harry said, still keeping his voice low because it was clear Remus had a headache, from the way his eyes squinted in the dim light. Remus nodded very slightly, though it was several minutes before the boy stopped shaking. Then Remus tossed the covers aside and Harry helped him to his feet. Remus glanced around with a puzzled expression on his face, and Harry smiled a little. "They went down to breakfast already, but they're saving us seats. Do you need help or will you be okay on your own?"

Remus's clammy skin flushed a light pink. "I'll be fine," he mumbled unconvincingly.

"I'll stay in the room in case you need something. Go," Harry said, giving the other boy a very slight push toward the bathroom. Remus grabbed his towel off the end of his bed and headed to the bathroom, still unsteady on his feet. Harry walked behind him, ready to steady him if need be, and when he entered the bathroom Harry settled onto his bed with his Occlumency book, brushing up on the next steps while keeping an ear out for Remus because, frankly, he looked terrible and it was possible he would collapse at any moment.

After about ten minutes, the sound of rushing water shut off abruptly. A moment later Remus emerged with just the towel wrapped around his waist. He walked straight to his trunk to get out a set of clean clothes. Harry looked up as Remus emerged from the bathroom and barely stifled a gasp.

A latticework of scars marred nearly every inch of the boy's exposed skin, some of them still tinged red, like they hadn't fully healed. Harry knew the scars existed—he'd seen the ones on his arms and legs and the fainter ones on his face. But he'd never seen the ones on Remus's back and stomach and it made him feel sick, because there were so many and he knew they were all self-inflicted. With some effort Harry pulled his gaze away and hid his face in his book, determination burning even stronger within him to do everything he could to keep Remus from hurting himself any further because of the wolf.

A few moments later Remus was fully dressed and the boys got their books together in silence. Then they left the dorm together. Remus was still pale, and there were still bags under his eyes, but at least he was steady on his feet now. Of course, that didn't stop Harry from walking close by, just in case his step faltered.

They arrived so late at breakfast that there was barely time for Harry to gulp down some toast and eggs before they had to leave for class. Remus skipped eating entirely, his face tinging green again as he smelled the food. He was half-asleep during Transfiguration, doodling idly with his quill instead of taking notes. Harry knew he wasn't the only one casting concerned glances at Remus. Throughout the day the bags under his eyes grew darker, and the limp that Harry hadn't noticed until lunchtime grew more pronounced.

Remus ate a little for lunch, and a little more because James and Sirius insisted. It was sort of funny, Harry thought as he watched the two dish food onto Remus's plate while Peter poured a glass of pumpkin juice and pushed it toward him. They were fussing like mother hens. Of course, Harry might have done the same if it weren't for the fact that he was trying _not_ to upset Remus. Remus gave both Sirius and James several nasty glares, his eyes flashing amber, when they pushed a little too hard.

After lunch Remus found it nearly impossible to stay awake. In Ancient Runes, Harry had to poke him awake because of the group project they were working on that he had to participate in. When Harry's classes were finally over for the day and he had a free period before dinner, he returned to the dorm to put his books away, then headed to the library. He hoped to find Remus there and confront him, as gently as possible.

Sure enough, Harry spotted Remus at one of the tables toward the back of the library, clearly looking for as much quiet as possible. He looked as bad as ever, but his face was determined and he had books and parchment spread across the table. It was clear he was trying to get as much homework done as possible so he could take the weekend to simply recover and relax.

"Remus! Just the person I was looking for!" Harry said with a smile, sitting down beside him at the table.

Remus grunted. "As if you didn't know I'd be here," he said with a slight eye roll. "Especially since this happens to be the _only_ free period we both have at the same time with no one else around."

Harry grinned. "You caught me. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

Remus looked like he wanted to refuse and just put his head down on the table, but he forced a tired smile and pushed his books aside so he could see Harry more clearly. "Sure. Is it that Defense essay?" It had been obvious that Harry was struggling to complete it.

Harry shook his head. "Actually, I wanted some advice. You're good at that. The others would either laugh at me or tell me to prank them until the problem was solved."

Remus smiled faintly in agreement. "All right. What's the problem?"

Harry hesitated slightly. Remus still looked terrible, and Harry didn't want to stress him out or scare him away. But he couldn't put it off any longer. "I think one of my friends is hiding something from me, but I don't know how to confront him about it. I don't want to scare him off or lose his friendship, but I want him to know I'm there for him and I'll keep his secrets."

Remus nodded understandingly. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then spoke. "Have you shown him on other occasions that you're trustworthy?"

"I hope so," Harry replied, trying to relax—his body was tense with anxiety, but he didn't want Remus to catch on. For half a minute he was grateful Remus wasn't functioning at full capacity at the moment, or he'd surely pick up on the fact that not all was as it seemed. "I think I've figured out what he's hiding, since he's not the best at being inconspicuous, but I haven't said anything to anyone. But I think he knows I suspect."

Remus nodded again, doodling idly on a corner of his notes. "So he probably knows he can trust you; he's just hesitant to tell you. Is this…secret, per say, something that could hurt someone or get someone in trouble?"

Harry shook his head emphatically, and saw Remus's eyes widen slightly at how passionate he was about it. "I'm sure it's harmless; just very personal." Harry may have imagined the slight relief in Remus's expression. He also realized that he was gripping his quill rather tightly. "But I've noticed that he struggles with it sometimes," Harry continued, "and I want him to know that I only want to help," he said pointedly.

Remus gave him a calculating look, his eyes more alert than they'd been before. But there was no hint of suspicion or fear, and Harry wondered if he thought he was talking about Sirius. He hid it well, but it was obvious he still had a hard time when it came to his family, despite having run away over the summer.

"I'm sure he's still trying to come to terms with it," Remus finally said. "It's probably best to let him tell you in his own time."

"That's just it, though. I don't think he's ever actually _told_ anyone before; they've just guessed right," Harry said, laying subtle emphasis on the specific verb. He knew that was true—future-Remus had mentioned that the other Marauders had figured it out and didn't even ask for confirmation, and before Hogwarts he'd never trusted anyone enough to say anything. "I'm sure others know, or it would be too hard to deal with on such a regular basis. I think…he's more afraid of being judged for something he can't control."

Remus leaned forward slightly, his amber eyes narrowed a little. His grip on his quill was now so tight Harry was afraid it might snap in half, and he wasn't doodling anymore. "If he's afraid of judgement, he must have some history of it and hasn't liked the results."

"Maybe," Harry said with a shrug, forcing himself to stay casual though his heart was beating faster now as it was clear Remus was getting suspicious. "But I've never been one to judge a book by its cover. I judge based on action, not appearance or even rumors. And so far, this friend has only ever acted like a good friend and a decent person." Harry just wanted Remus to understand. "I just wish he knew that," he added with a faint smile, deliberately looking Remus in the eye. He wasn't surprised to see what little color he still had drain from his face and he drew in a sharp breath.

"Maybe he would prefer it if you backed off and let him have his space," Remus growled. "No one likes having their personal life pried into."

Harry could see the wolf in Remus's eyes. It was a bit frightening, but he refused to back down. "He didn't do that to his other friends. I'm the outsider, the newcomer. I get why he doesn't trust me fully yet. But I only want to help."

The quill snapped in half, the sound echoing in the quiet, and Remus's hands started shaking. He went completely white. But Harry wasn't done. "I'd be a fool not to notice the symptoms, living in such close quarters for three months now. Once is coincidence. Twice is suspicious. But three times…" Harry trailed off, doing his best to sound nonjudgmental.

Remus looked horrified, and yet there was a hint of resignation. Harry shifted closer to him, and Remus flinched violently. Slowly, so Remus could watch the movement, Harry put his hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"I'm not about to hurt you, Remus. Haven't you been listening to anything I said?" Harry asked, trying not to feel hurt by Remus's obvious mistrust. He relaxed a tiny fraction in response to Harry's words, but he was still tense. "I know James and Sirius and Peter know. But they've stuck with you, haven't they? Is it so hard to belief there are other people out there like them?"

"I still have trouble believing _they_ don't care," Remus answered quietly after a silence. His voice was slightly unsteady. "My whole life I've been shunned, isolated. My parents and I moved every few months. It was supposed to be for my protection, but…" he trailed off, averting his eyes. Harry squeezed his shoulder.

"They did the best they could, I'm sure. And so are James, Sirius, and Peter. They care about _you_ , about Remus Lupin. They don't care about anything else. And…so do I, Moony," Harry said with a smile. He felt a wave of nostalgia for future-Remus, but it looked like he was gaining his younger counterpart as a lifelong friend, so Harry didn't mind.

Remus's eyes closed. His face was tense and still pale. "You really don't care that I'm a—that every month I—"

Harry smiled. "It's not a curse word, Remus. It's okay to say it."

Remus looked up, his eyes oddly bright as confusion and relief warred in his expression. "You don't care that I'm a…a…" Remus took a deep breath. "A werewolf?"

Harry shook his head, grinning. "You're just Remus to me. Now, can you help me with Slughorn's essay?"

Remus looked shocked. "That's it?"

"What?" Harry asked, still grinning. "Please, I really don't get this whole antidote thing. You've always been better at the theory than me," he said, pushing his essay toward Remus. Remus looked from the essay, to Harry, and back to the essay, his mouth open in surprise. "What? Please, Moony! It's due Monday and the others are no help at all!" Harry said pleadingly, turning his best puppy-dog expression on the other boy.

Remus stared at him for a moment, then he choked on a laugh that set them both off. Harry pretended not to notice the moisture on the other boy's face. After several minutes, they both recovered and Remus pulled the essay toward him, skimming over what Harry had written and trying to surreptitiously dry the tears on his cheeks.

"You were right. You don't get it at all, Mr. Potions Prodigy," he said with a smirk. "It's really simple. Almost every potion is made up of several different parts…"

Harry grinned as Remus began explaining the theory behind brewing antidotes. He _did_ need help, as he didn't quite grasp the concept, and Remus _was_ better at potions theory than Harry was, but mostly he was glad Remus had accepted Harry's friendship as genuine and unconditional and that he was no longer worried about his secret getting out.

When Remus finished his explanation, Harry understood exactly what he was supposed to do, and the two worked in companionable silence for a time. Finally they were interrupted by their growling stomachs, telling them it was dinner time. They gathered up their books and Harry made to go, but Remus didn't follow. So he stopped and turned, confused to see Remus with his head down, looking hesitant and rather vulnerable.

"Remus? Are you okay?" Harry asked concernedly, putting his hand on the other boy's shoulder. Remus sort of shrugged, then suddenly, as if afraid of second-guessing himself, Remus threw his arms around Harry in a tight hug of gratitude.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely. Harry awkwardly patted his back, not sure what to do at first. But when he realized Remus was shaking, Harry hugged him back firmly.

"I'm just being a decent person. That's nothing you need to thank me for," Harry said.

"Then I guess there aren't many decent people out there, which means they need to be thanked," Remus answered, his voice muffled against Harry's robes. After a few more seconds, Remus pulled away, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "You really don't know how much it means to me," he said fervently.

Harry smiled. "I think I have an idea," he replied, thinking just how much _he_ wanted to be accepted for himself, with all his faults, and how few people he had found that gave him that.

"I wish you could come with us tonight," Remus said softly, and had Harry not been paying attention he would have missed it. He was surprised, then he got an idea.


	13. Joining the Marauders

Welcome to the next chapter, something I'm sure you've all been waiting for. I'd also like to give a shout-out to those of you who have followed me since the beginning of _Taking Control_. Thank you for all your support! Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

 **Chapter 14 Joining the Marauders**

"Hey, Moony, do you want to prank the others?"

Remus looked surprised. "You're bringing this up _now_ , when you know what's going to happen in less than four hours?"

"That's _exactly_ why I'm bringing it up," Harry replied, smirking. He picked up his bag once more and started toward the exit to the library. This time Remus followed.

"Then what do you have in mind?"

Harry grinned. "You see, the others don't know that I know. They know I suspect, though. I just thought it might be fun to give them a bit of a scare. Nothing terrible, no one will get hurt, and it will reinforce the fact that I couldn't care _less_ about what's going to happen to you tonight."

Remus still looked a little doubtful. "It could turn ugly, if you're not careful. James and Sirius are incredibly overprotective, especially around this time," he said, his voice growing softer, and Harry realized that, despite him seeming more energetic, Remus still looked terrible. The gravity of Remus being a werewolf was starting to really sink in for Harry, and it gave him that much more determination to help in any and every way he could.

"I'll be careful, and I can defend myself if need be. At the very least, I'll have you to vouch for me," Harry replied. "So I'll stay late at dinner, and you go back to the dorm with the others. I know they're animagi—it's the only way they could go with you and not get hurt. And I'm sure you have _some_ kind of plan for your activities each moon, right?"

Remus shrugged. "Sort of. Mostly they just plan where we've already been and how to avoid trouble."

"Then you can do that, I'll come in a little later and tease them a little, then finally come clean and off we'll go," Harry replied. "Sound good?"

Remus shrugged. "Sure. Just, be careful, okay?"

Harry smiled. "I will."

By now they had reached the Great Hall, so they shared a smirk and took their usual seats. James, Sirius, and Peter were already there, and they both suffered some teasing about spending their free period in the library. Harry engaged in the conversation, enjoying the banter back and forth between them. Even Remus was grinning, even though he still looked exhausted and pale.

All too soon dinner ended. Harry made excuses for himself (though the fact that Tonks was nearby and he hadn't talked to her all day made for an easy excuse) and the other four boys went on without him.

"You're planning something, aren't you," Tonks stated with a slight smile once the Marauders were out of sight. "Something to do with tonight."

"Maybe," he hedged, smirking widely. Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you're doing, be careful. I'd hate to have to patch up your broken body, _again_."

"Hey, that one wasn't my fault! The Alley was under attack!" Harry protested. Tonks grinned.

"I'm joking. Go on, before you miss them."

Harry nodded and got to his feet. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning," he replied. "See you." Harry waved and hurried out of the Great Hall.

When he reached the dorm at the top of Gryffindor tower, Harry wasn't surprised to find all the Marauders there. Remus wasn't due in the hospital wing for another forty minutes, at the latest, so there was plenty of time—if nobody made things difficult.

"What are you still doing here? Aren't you going 'exploring' again tonight?" Harry asked innocently when he entered the dorm. All four boys, who were gathered on Sirius's bed, looked up, all of them alarmed but for Remus, whose lips twitched in amusement.

"What do you mean? Our explorations are completely random!" James protested a little too loudly.

"Oh, I must have mistaken the date. I thought you went exploring every full moon. It's a good time for it," Harry admitted, hiding a smile at the growing horror on the three faces turned his way. "The moonlight makes it so you don't have to rely on your wands for light." The three boys gasped; Harry caught Remus's eye and they both had to look away quickly to avoid spoiling the prank with their laughter.

"Wh-what do you mean, full moon? Tonight's not the full moon, is it?" Peter stammered.

Harry shrugged. "You should ask Remus if you're not sure. He seems to have a pretty good handle on the moon phases and when the full moon falls."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Remus cut in, his voice shaking with what Harry knew was suppressed laughter, though to the other boys he probably sounded as nervous and horrified as they did. "I'm not even taking Astronomy!"

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "If I didn't already know what you were hiding, you would have just given it away. Thankfully, I already figured it out, or else I'd be incredibly annoyed," he said matter-of-factly.

The three other boys exchanged a glance and quickly stood in unison, forming a protective barrier between Harry and Remus. Between James's head and Sirius's hair, Harry glimpsed Remus's exasperated but appreciative look as his friends moved to defend him.

"What do you think you know, then?" Sirius demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and taking an intimidating stance. If Harry didn't already know and trust them, he might have been afraid. As it was, he just stared steadily back. James echoed Sirius's stance and Peter's expression turned very determined and fierce, which was very out of character for the usually shy and non-confrontational boy.

"I _know_ that tonight is the full moon, and that Remus needs to be in the infirmary in the next twenty minutes. He _is_ a werewolf, after all," Harry said bluntly. The three boys gasped and looked to Remus, clearly expecting him to be just as horrified as they were. They gaped as he suddenly burst into laughter. Sirius's mouth opened and closed like a fish, Peter looked shocked, and James, after a moment of horrified surprise, was now giving Harry a very shrewd look.

"Sorry," Remus finally managed through his laughter. "We just couldn't resist." The others continued trading looks, as though they weren't sure if they believed what they were seeing. Finally Remus regained his breath and explained. "He confronted me earlier in the library. Nearly gave me a heart attack—" Remus gave Harry a halfhearted glare—"but he finally convinced me it didn't matter."

"Is that true?" James demanded, facing Harry down. "You don't mind that Moony is a werewolf?"

Harry shook his head. "Not at all. He's still Remus; he just grows extra-furry on the full moons," he answered with a grin. The others smiled, too, though Sirius still looked as though he couldn't quite believe it.

"That _is_ why we call it his 'furry little problem,'" James mused.

"I also know that, somehow, you guys sneak out to keep him company," Harry continued, and they all gave him open-mouthed looks. Harry rolled his eyes. "Did you honestly expect me _not_ to notice that you all disappear at the same time Remus does? You _never_ stay out all night—except on the nights Remus does."

"Damn," Sirius muttered. "We're lucky we haven't had any other roommates, or we never would have gotten away with everything."

Harry smirked. "I'll take credit for that," he said. "But I do have to congratulate you—becoming animagi just to help your friend takes incredible skill _and_ loyalty," he continued, and he would know, having done it himself.

"How-how do you know we're animagi?" Peter asked, still a little nervous and unsure.

"It's the only way you could be with a werewolf and not be infected—unless, of course, you're all werewolves, too," Harry replied simply, smiling a little.

James and Sirius stared at Harry for a long moment. "You know, I don't think we've given you enough credit. You're a lot more observant than you seem."

Harry felt his cheeks warm under the praise, but he forced his skin not to change color. "Nah. I just read and study and pay attention. But really, we should be going soon if you don't want a feral werewolf running rampant in the dorm room."

"Wha—" Sirius began, then he turned to Remus, prompting the rest to do the same. He'd been silent for a while, and now they knew why. His face was white and glistened with sweat. His eyes were squeezed closed and he looked like he was either in a lot of pain or trying not to retch. "Crap, you're right," Sirius croaked.

"Hang on— _we_?" Peter asked suddenly.

"Of course, 'we'. I'm coming with you."

That got a reaction out of Remus. "You can't! I'll kill you, or infect you, or—" He cut himself off, his face twisting in pain. Harry winced inwardly—he'd left that part out when he'd confronted him earlier.

"Unless…" James trailed off, turning his shrewd gaze on Harry once more. "Are you…?"

"An animagus? Yup," Harry said proudly, enjoying the look of shock that spread across all four faces. "My godfather thought it would be a useful skill. So, can we go? Before Moony appears?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Harry even as he helped Remus off the bed, Peter assisting on the other side. "We're giving you a lot of trust here, mate. If you break it…" he trailed off, but the threat was clear and real.

"I have no intention of that," Harry replied solemnly. "Now let's go."

The others nodded in agreement and the five boys left the dorm and headed to the hospital wing.

Madame Pomphrey was waiting for them outside, tapping her foot impatiently and checking her watch periodically. When she saw them coming, she immediately launched into a lecture. "It's about time! You've cut it close before, but this is ridiculous! You should have gotten him to me an hour ago!"

She continued muttering under her breath as she pulled Remus's arm over her shoulders and marched away. The other four boys followed behind. Peter transformed into his rat form—and Harry made a show of being really impressed and awed—and slipped into Sirius's pocket as James drew the invisibility cloak over them. Three sixteen-year-old boys didn't fit very well under it, but they made do. Harry cast a disillusionment charm on them for good measure, and a silencing charm on their feet.

"Why didn't _we_ ever think of that?" Sirius muttered as Harry finished the charm. James elbowed him in the ribs to make him shut up. Ignoring Sirius's muffled curse, the trio plus the pocketed rat followed about fifty meters behind the mediwitch on their way to the Whomping Willow. Remus had apparently broken away from her and ran the rest of the way, but Madame Pomphrey was jogging steadily behind. The boys didn't bother to run.

They waited until Remus had disappeared into the tunnel and Madame Pomphrey had gone, then Sirius placed Peter in rat form on the ground and sent him toward the knot on the Whomping Willow. The tree stopped flailing at once and James, Harry, and Sirius followed right behind the little brown rat. James stowed the invisibility cloak in his robe pocket while Harry removed the disillusionment and silencing charms he'd cast. Then they hurried into the passage.

Some minutes later, they reached the familiar trapdoor. Harry couldn't help remembering the last time he'd been down that way, thinking his godfather was a mass murderer about to kill his best friend, and then learning that nothing could be farther from the truth. Harry pushed the memories away, focusing on what he was about to do and mentally reminding himself how to approach Moony as a wolf so he wouldn't incite unnecessary conflict.

Sirius unlatched the trapdoor and heaved himself up. Peter the rat hopped off his shoulder and scurried toward the middle of the room. James was right behind him and Harry came last. He latched the trapdoor and joined the other four in the middle of the room.

Remus sat wrapped in a blanket, his robes in a neat pile on a high shelf across the room. Peter the rat sat on Remus's shoulder, occasionally nuzzling his neck. The Shrieking Shack itself looked just as Harry remembered it, if perhaps a little newer. There was still broken furniture everywhere, and dark spots on the wood floor that looked suspiciously like blood. Harry tried not to think about that part.

As he entered, Harry felt an intense gaze on him. He turned to see Remus eying him warily through eyes that were now completely amber.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said intensely, then he stiffened, his face twisting in pain. Peter leapt off his shoulder and scurried toward Sirius. Harry knew at once that the transformation was beginning.

"It's time," James said quietly, and taking his cue from them, Harry closed his eyes and slid smoothly into the transformation—he'd practiced enough by now that it was almost second nature. He grinned inwardly at the gasps as the powerful russet wolf appeared in Harry's place. Then Prongs and Padfoot appeared as well.

Remus's silent grimaces finally turned audible. He shuddered and gasped, then he started to scream. A sympathetic growl emanated from Russet's throat, and Padfoot whined in sympathy. The transformation was horrible to watch and even more horrible to listen to. Even seeing it twice before had not prepared Harry for this. Russet compensated by flattening his ears against his head and covering his eyes with his paws, a whine to echo Padfoot's filling the silence between screams. Moments later the screams turned into howls, and a young tawny werewolf got shakily to his feet.

Moony greeted his pack of the rat, the stag, and the dog, but he made a noise of confusion when he encountered the unfamiliar fifth member of the party. The wolf was bigger than he, the color of rust and with startling green eyes. It was also prostrated on the ground in a clear sign of submission. Russet tensed slightly as the werewolf approached, sniffing suspiciously, but offered no challenge. As Moony approached, he felt a connection to the new wolf. Faint, unfamiliar, but definitely present. Russet felt something similar and knew exactly what it meant. It was the sense that the new wolf was already a part of their pack, and had already proven himself Moony's alpha. His posture simply said, I don't want a fight.

After a moment and sensing no sign of hostility from Moony, Russet carefully raised himself back to his feet. The dog and the stag were looking at him with a mixture of confusion and respect—perhaps they, too, felt like he was always meant to be part of their pack.

A faint scurrying sound reached Russet's ears, and he looked down to see the brown rat sniffing at his left forepaw. The little animal's bright, intelligent eyes studied the bigger wolf for some minutes, and Russet unconsciously tensed again. Then he squeaked in what must have been approval and crawled up Russet's paw to his shoulder before coming to rest on his head, right between the wolf's ears.

The little rat's action seemed to have been a sort of signal, because the black, bearlike dog barked happily and launched himself at Moony, starting a play-fight. The stag looked on with a very James-like expression of amusement.

The night passed calmly. The werewolf was content to play and wrestle with whoever seemed willing. He got a little extra-hyper just after midnight, but since Padfoot was tired out and Prongs was hesitant to use his antlers, Russet jumped in and wrestled the tawny wolf into submission quite joyfully while Wormtail scurried around and between their paws, squeaking happily.

Finally, as the sky became the darkest just before dawn, all the animals had tired themselves out. One after another they fell asleep in a heap. Wormtail rested on Russet's head, which leaned against Prongs's hindquarters. Moony lay across Russet's back paws with Padfoot beside and partially on top of him. They stayed that way until moonset, when they were woken by Moony's convulsions as he transformed back into Remus. Padfoot transformed back first and brought the blanket from earlier. Then Prongs, Wormtail, and Russet returned to human form, and with the promise to visit him in the hospital wing after breakfast, they left with Sirius to return to the castle.

The four boys returned to the dorm to shower and change, then they went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were all tired, but at the same time they were exhilarated by their adventure the previous night, especially Harry. For the first time, as they tromped up to the hospital wing to visit Remus together, Harry truly felt like part of their group. When they got to the infirmary, though, Remus was asleep. Despite not being injured but for a few scrapes and bruises, the transformation still tired him out. So Harry, James, Sirius, and Peter returned the dorm to snatch a few hours' sleep as well.

They woke about lunchtime, and instead of going down to the Great Hall, Peter and Harry volunteered to get food from the kitchens and bring it back up. While the house elves scurried around getting a wide selection of foods, Harry turned to Peter.

"What did that mean last night, when you climbed onto my head right after the transformation?" he asked curiously.

Peter flushed a little, looking sheepish. "Rats are supposed to be good judges of character, I guess. And…I'm kind of like that, too. If I like or trust someone or think something's a good or a bad idea, the others usually listen to me. When they don't, it usually backfires on them," Peter added with a smirk, obviously lost in memory for a moment. Then he continued. "So because I trust you, they're perfectly happy to follow along."

Harry felt his face heat up, and he tamped it down with his morphing. "Thanks, Pete," Harry replied embarrassedly.

Peter flushed again under Harry's praise. "It's nothing. I like you. You're a good fit. And…" he trailed off with a hint of embarrassment, then he grinned and spoke with confidence. "I think it's awesome that you're an animagus, and that you came to help us with Moony last night."

"Thanks," Harry said again. Any further conversation was cut off as the house elves thrust a hamper of food each into Harry's and Peter's hands, exclaiming and asking if there was anything else they could do. The two boys managed to shake them off, then, grinning in amusement at the house elves' antics, they headed back up to Gryffindor tower.

When they arrived, Remus was back, just released according to James. Any other words were cut off when Sirius saw the food hampers. He dug in immediately, and the others followed suit, all of them grinning or rolling their eyes at Sirius's exuberance.

The food disappeared quickly, all five boys eating heartily. As they were finishing off the last of the desserts, the conversation turned to the experience they'd had the previous night.

"I _still_ can't believe you're an animagus!" Sirius exclaimed. " _No_ one becomes an animagus nowadays just for fun."

"It wasn't _just_ for fun," Harry protested.

"How long have you even been an animagus? To be that fluid in the transformation, it has to be a while, right?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "It's been about three months now," he replied.

"Three _months!_ " Remus burst out.

"You're kidding, right?" James asked uncertainly.

Harry shook his head. "Nope."

"It took us at least _six_ months to get the transformation down that easily!" Peter exclaimed. "How long have you been working on it?"

Harry's expression turned sheepish again. "About five months," he replied.

" _What?_ " Exclamations filled the dorm, but Remus, surprisingly, was the most vocal. "Are you _crazy_? Spending the full moon with a _werewolf_ with so little experience?"

"Easy, Moony," Sirius said nervously. "We joined you as soon as we made the transformation fully the first time."

"That's because I was fourteen and desperate," Remus growled. "You could have been _killed_ last night!" he exclaimed, directing his glare at Harry now. It was fierce enough that Harry actually shrank back a little. "What kind of idiot volunteers _on the fly_ to be a werewolf's chew toy?!"

Harry was taken aback at the anger, and he would have been incredibly hurt if future-Remus hadn't reacted in almost the exact same way. It still hurt a little, but Harry knew how to deal with it this time. "Well, considering I had someone I wanted to help and the ability to do so, I chose to help," he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly to make his point. "If it helps, this wasn't the first time."

" _What?_ " It was irrelevant who had spoken; all of them had the same question stamped across their faces.

"My godfather was a werewolf, too. That's why I became an animagus in the first place—to help him. I only got to spend two full moons with him, but I wasn't going in blind," Harry said pointedly.

Remus opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Peter jumped in.

"As much as I admire that…you barely know us. Why bother with a group of strangers?"

"You're not strangers; you're my friends," Harry said. "It doesn't matter for how long. We've already been through a lot together, between detentions and pranks and the dementor. You've been there for me, and I want to return the favor." Then, smirking, Harry added, "How many detentions have we been in together now?"

Sirius smirked and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Exactly. He's practically one of us. We might as well make it official. Which means," he said, rubbing his hands together, "that you need a nickname."

"Huh?" Harry hadn't expected that.

"But—" Remus began, obviously feeling like he hadn't properly gotten his point across at how reckless Harry had been. And it was true; Harry had said it himself—he was the newcomer. He could be their friend, but could he be trusted to join their group?

"He joined us for a full moon, Moony," James pointed out, reading all those doubts on Remus's face. "He doesn't care that you're a werewolf. No matter what other objections you may have, I can't think of a better way for him to prove his loyalty and trustworthiness.

"Unless you have some other, personal objection," Sirius said, crossing his arms across his chest. He stepped partway in front of Harry in a protective stance, and Harry's throat tightened as he saw future-Sirius, his godfather, in this Sirius's expression and posture.

"Remember what I told you yesterday, Moony? And what you said?" Harry asked quietly, trying not to show the hurt he felt because of Remus's mistrust.

Remus's eyes widened slightly as he recalled the words they'd exchanged—nothing significant, simply the way Harry had shown his complete and utter disregard for the fact that Remus was a werewolf, the way he'd reassured him, and his own expression of gratitude. "No, nothing like that," Remus said quickly, responding to Sirius's question. "I just…" he trailed off, still insecure.

"Then what's your problem?" Peter spoke up boldly. "I like him," he declared, and Harry smiled because of what Peter had explained down in the kitchens.

Remus opened his mouth, then finally sighed and gave in. "I guess I can't argue. I'm just worried, is all."

James rolled his eyes. "You worry too much, Moony."

"Then, about the nickname…" Sirius trailed off with a smirk, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"He'll have to transform again, so we can study him," Peter said with a slight smile. Harry grinned.

"Shall I?" he asked, and everyone nodded. Harry closed his eyes and let the transformation take him over. Once transformed into Russet, he leapt onto Remus's lap, licking his face before settling across his legs. The other three laughed while Remus looked torn between amusement and exasperation. Russet simply relaxed across Remus's lap while the others started tossing names around. He turned down every single one of them, and growled when Sirius suggested "Red."

"Russet," Remus finally suggested halfheartedly. The red wolf on his lap yipped in approval and proceeded to bathe the boy's face with his tongue. Remus scowled, then sputtered and cursed when wolf saliva got into his mouth. Russet let his tongue loll out in a wolfy grin.

"Russet? But that's so-so—"

"Perfect?" James finished, grinning.

"I like it," Peter said.

"I think Harry likes it, too," Remus said, grimacing as he wiped wolf drool off his face. "He's worse than you, Padfoot."

Russet yipped again, then tackled Sirius to the ground when he continued to protest. He then proceeded to completely soak Sirius's face with saliva and pinned him to the floor with his heavy paws. "Ugh," Sirius grunted, grimacing. "Fine. 'Russet' it is. Now get off me!"

Russet barked in triumph and got of Sirius, transforming back into Harry, in full morph. When he'd first transformed, he'd returned in his natural form, but since then he'd been practicing constantly so he could transform back already morphed.

"So, am I a Marauder now?" Harry asked, grinning.

"All in favor, say 'aye!'" James exclaimed, and five voices rang out in unison and approval. "Then we welcome you, Russet, to the ranks of the Marauders, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers!" he announced.

Harry flushed with pride while the others clapped him on the shoulder or back. But he couldn't quite stifle a faint stirring of unease—here they were, inducting him into their secret group and having entrusted him with said group's biggest secret, and Harry was lying about his entire identity. But he pushed it to the back of his mind and just enjoyed the moment. Peter had convinced Remus to share his hidden stash of chocolate, and that combined with the last of the drinks and desserts from the kitchens evolved into an impromptu party in the sixth year Gryffindor boys' dorm that lasted through dinner and into the night.


	14. Tensions and Quidditch

**Chapter 15 Tensions and Quidditch**

Once Halloween was over, there was a sudden upsurge of enthusiasm among the student body—the Quidditch season was officially starting! The first game of the season would be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, on the third Saturday of the November, and the tension between the two houses was approaching an all-time high. As did violence and altercations in the corridors. Most especially the targets were those on the opposing team, which meant James and Sirius often were the targets of a number of pranks and nasty hexes, cast by nearly all the older Slytherins, along with their other teammates.

James and Sirius played chaser and beater respectively, and were often gone in the evenings for practice, and would arrive late back to the dorm because of their continuing detentions from the Halloween prank. Harry was also subject to those detentions, and though he missed playing Quidditch, he didn't envy his friends when they would tromp back into the dorm exhausted and dripping wet or muddy from practice—because with November came heavy rains.

Harry had been surprised to learn that Marlene played on the team as well, as chaser. Frank Longbottom, who was in his seventh and final year, was the keeper and the captain. One other seventh year whom Harry didn't know played the other chaser, and two fifth years played seeker and beater respectively. Of course, that meant all of them were often targeted by the Slytheirns as well.

More than once, by sheer coincidence and proximity, Harry had been forced to intervene before things got nasty. Somewhat to his chagrin, he garnered quite the reputation for being quick to retaliate if anything more dangerous than a tickling hex was cast. More than one Slytherin found themselves in the hospital wing after facing the wrong end of his wand. However, what was more remarkable and that gained him an even bigger reputation is that he would hex even his own housemates, if they attacked without cause with the specific intent to cause physical harm or excessive humiliation. Case in point, three days before the game.

Harry had left lunch a little early to get a few books from the library for an Arithmancy project. Remus accompanied him, since he had the same project. Tonks did, too, but she already had all the material she needed. Even though James was also in the class, he avoided the library like the plague unless it was an emergency—or it was sure that a certain redheaded sixth-year Gryffindor girl would be there. So Harry had left James, Sirius, and Peter in the Great Hall and walked with Remus toward the fourth floor, where the library was located.

They were on the third floor, not far from the main staircase but near a lesser-used corridor when suddenly an orange flash shot just feet in front of them and slammed into the opposite wall—spellfire. It was a minor hex, but Harry didn't hesitate to hurry down the corridor it had come from, hoping to diffuse the fight before it got nasty. Remus followed to provide backup, and as prefect it _was_ his responsibility to take charge in situations like this.

To Harry's surprise and shame, he found three fifth-year Gryffindor boys, two of them Harry recognized as the beater and seeker respectively from their house team. The trio was ganging up on another student, who was partially hidden in the shadow of the corridor. Harry couldn't tell what House they belonged to, but he would bet it was one of the Slytherin players. And it wasn't just spells flying.

"Oy! Knock it off," Harry growled as he drew near, just as the Gryffindor beater fired another hex.

"Just because you're Gryffindor doesn't make you better than us," the other student sneered, and Harry was a little startled to recognize Regulus's voice. He blocked the spell with ease, but didn't retaliate immediately. "I bet your captain would be ever so pleased to hear one of his star players needed two buddies to attack a lone Slytherin," he taunted.

"Shut up, _snake_ ," one of the Gryffindors—the seeker—retorted furiously, casting a nasty yellow boils hex at Regulus. Regulus retaliated this time, sending a curse of his own.

Without hesitation Harry cast a shield spell between them that would absorb their respective spells.

"You call yourselves Gryffindors?" Harry demanded as he lowered his wand slightly. The four students turned, expressions ranging from surprised to furious on their faces . "Ganging up on a single student, _lording_ it over him? You're no better than the Slytherins you claim to hate," he said darkly.

"But he—" one of them began, but Harry's wand was up instantly, Silencing him.

"I am frankly ashamed to be in the same house as you," Harry began fiercely. "Do you know what you were doing? It's not proving a point. It's not revenge. It's not even intimidation. It's bullying, plain and simple. And you know what else? _I hate bullies_."

"You'd defend the _snake_ over your own house?" another of the Gryffindors sneered—the beater, Harry realized, though he couldn't recall the boy's name.

"I'll defend _any_ victim of bullying, no matter what color tie they're wearing," he said frankly, but the expression on his face was so fierce that the other boy backed down.

"I have to agree, frankly," Remus cut in, a hard edge in his voice. "Five points from Gryffindor— _each_. And I _will_ be telling Professor McGonagall about this."

"But—" the last boy began to protest, but Harry glared at him and he shut up.

"I'm sure you have better places to be. So get there," Remus said pointedly. The three boys exchanged angry looks, then passed Remus and Harry and headed back down the corridor, while Regulus sneered in their direction and started to walk away. Harry was just about to put away his wand when he heard another incantation. Spinning on his heel, Harry cast a shield and three successive boils hexes at the three retreating students, a furious expression on his face.

"Attacking when his back is turned? You three are a _disgrace_."

The three boys' sudden cries of pain and the sound of their retreating footsteps were Harry's only reply.

"And another ten points from Gryffindor," Remus growled after them.

Regulus had paused in his retreat when the final spell was cast, and now he was staring at both boys in shock and confusion. "Why would you hex your own housemates?" he finally asked.

"Because they'll never learn otherwise," Harry said darkly, still furious over the behavior of the three fifth-years.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to take five points off Slytherin as well, for casting spells in the corridor," Remus said apologetically. Regulus shrugged.

"They would have deserved it," he said simply. "But shouldn't you take points off Harrison, too? He used magic in the corridor, too."

Remus glanced at Harry, who looked like he could care less how many points Remus took off him; he'd do it again in a heartbeat. "That won't teach him anything, and he'll earn them all back and then some in class later anyway, so there's no point," he said with a faint smile. "You're Regulus, right?"

"That's right," Regulus answered, now looking faintly suspicious as to why one of his brother's friends was standing up for him. Harry didn't count, because he'd become friends with Sirius _after_ meeting Regulus.

"Why were they targeting you?" Harry asked, calming his anger.

"Didn't you know? I'm the Slytherin seeker," Regulus replied with a smug look that reminded Harry very much of Sirius.

"Congratulations," Harry said with a faint smile. "Are you all right?" He sensed Remus watching their interaction curiously, but as he was silent now, Harry mostly ignored him.

Regulus shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle on my own." Then Harry noticed the rip in his sleeve, revealing a cut on his left arm.

"Is that—did they use a _cutting curse_ on you?" he asked in furious disbelief.

Regulus looked slightly uncomfortable, but he shrugged again. "Like I said, nothing I can't handle."

Remus cleared his throat awkwardly, sensing that he probably shouldn't be there for the conversation that was sure to follow. "I'll meet you in class, Harry," he said, and then he left.

"Later," Harry called after him, then he turned back to Regulus. "I can heal that, if you want. It might not be bad, but I bet it still stings."

"It's nothing," Regulus answered, seeming defensive now.

Harry bit back a sigh at the boy's stubbornness. "It will take less than a second, then no one will know a bunch of Gryffindors got the jump on you," he said instead, smiling slightly.

For a moment the stubborn set of Regulus's jaw didn't change, then finally he exhaled forcefully in resignation. "Fine. Fix it, if it makes you feel better."

"I'm hoping it will make _you_ feel better," Harry answered, grinning. He took Regulus's offered arm and rolled up the sleeve until he could see the cut. It was clean, but deeper than just a nick. Raising his wand to point at the cut, Harry murmured the incantation to stop the bleeding and seal the skin together. He also repaired the boy's sleeve, so that when he was done it looked like nothing had happened at all.

"Thanks," Regulus said grudgingly as he shook out his sleeve. Harry eyed him for a moment, then asked in a more subdued voice,

"Does this happen often?"

Regulus scoffed. "Often, he says. If any Gryffindor above fourth year—aside from a select few—finds me alone in the hall, they curse first and talk second."

"Then why do you walk by yourself?"

Regulus opened his mouth, then closed it and looked away, his jaw set stubbornly again. "We don't see things eye to eye, my housemates and I," he finally answered.

Harry had had enough experience with Slytherins—and evading the truth—that he knew what Regulus wasn't saying—that he didn't have any friends, and though he'd never admit it, it did affect him. A little hesitantly, because he knew Regulus wasn't the most comfortable with physical contact, Harry put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"If you ever need a fresh perspective, or a break from your housemates, feel free to come find me," he said. Regulus looked up uncertainly, saw nothing but sincerity in Harry's eyes, and nodded shortly. Harry smiled, then picked up Regulus's book bag from where it had fallen to the floor during the encounter and handed it to him. "Take care, Reg."

Something flashed across his face before instantly being replaced with faint annoyance. "Later, Harrison. And don't call me Reg," he said with a frown before the younger boy turned and started off purposefully down the corridor. Harry just grinned and watched until he had gone. He checked his watch, cursed, then grabbed his own book bag and hurried off down the corridor toward the Entrance Hall and from there to the greenhouses for Herbology.

He arrived just barely in time. Breathing hard, Harry took his place with Sirius and Peter at their usual station while Professor Sprout gave him a stern look.

"Where were you?" Sirius hissed as Professor Sprout began her lecture.

"You didn't spend all that time in the library, did you? Moony loses track of time there all the time, but you're _always_ on time," Peter added. Harry and Sirius chuckled a little at all the times Peter used the word "time" but finally Harry answered.

"I guess there's a first time for everything, then," he replied, still grinning. He'd briefly debated telling them the whole story, but he doubted Sirius would appreciate discussing his brother. The two had been on the rocks for a long time, and Harry didn't feel like convincing Sirius that his entire world view was skewed and biased against Slytherins during Professor Sprout's lecture on Venomous Tentactula leaves and their uses in potions and healing, which was sure to come up on their test.

The lesson went by fairly quickly, for all of Sirius's bellyaching. Harry and Peter had a grand time winding him up and tricking him into doing all the dangerous steps while they looked on and laughed as he tried to evade the venomous thorns of the Venomous Tentactula even as he attempted to harvest said thorns. When class finally ended, Sirius was covered in dirt and plant bits and trudged, disgruntled, between a laughing Peter and Harry, both of whom refused to cast a _scourgify_ but happily offered an _auguamenti_ to wash off the dirt.

"Prats," Sirius grumbled as they reached the Entrance Hall. Peter and Harry laughed, then Peter spotted Filch, the caretaker. He elbowed Harry, who hurried ahead with Peter, trying to hide a grin. Just as they reached the entrance to the staircase down to the dungeons, the cantankerous old man reached Sirius, so they paused to listen.

"How dare you track dirt into my castle! You kids have no idea how difficult it is to clean up after you. Away with you, and if I see you again tracking mud on these floors, I'll string you up by your toes!"

Sirius glared at Harry and Peter, who were now laughing so hard they had to lean on each other to keep from falling over, but he couldn't escape. Filch ranted on for a few more minutes, finally ending with assigning Sirius a detention for "defiling the castle." When the caretaker finally marched off, Harry, still laughing, finally had mercy on Sirius and cast a _scourgify_ on him to get rid of some of the dirt, and if Peter "accidentally" cast an _aguamenti_ to get rid of the rest, Harry wasn't going to blame him. But as a result, a wet, slightly muddy, and disgruntled Sirius trudged into the Potions classroom beside him and Peter, looking, in Harry's opinion, like a puppy that got locked outside in the rain.

"What happened to you?" James asked as Sirius took his seat beside him. Harry sat beside Severus like always and greeted him politely, but tuned an ear to their conversation.

"What happened to Black?" Severus hissed as Sirius replied to James.

"Herbology," Harry answered with a shrug, not bothering to hide his grin. "He got muddy, so Peter and I helped clean him up."

"And he didn't bother to try a drying charm?" Severus scoffed. "Typical."

Harry gave Severus a warning look, telling him not to take it too far, then Professor Slughorn appeared and began the class, so conversation stopped for a while.

After the professor set them to brewing, the classroom filled with the low murmur of conversation. Harry heard James taking the mickey out of Sirius for letting himself get pranked, and heard both Remus and Peter in the row ahead of them sniggering while they brewed.

A short time later, Severus spoke without prompting. "Regulus told me you helped him out of a tight spot earlier today," he said in a low voice touched with incredulity.

"A bunch of students were ganging up on him, so I put a stop to it," Harry replied with a shrug.

"You didn't just stop it. You hexed them!"

"So?"

"He told me they were Gryffindors, from your _Quidditch_ team," Severus said pointedly.

"So? They deserved it. I hate bullies," Harry muttered.

"You'd hex your own house?" Severus asked in disbelief. "Over a Slytherin?"

"If they're bullying someone, yes," Harry replied firmly. "And I thought you realized I didn't hold with house prejudice," he added. "I'm sitting with you, aren't I?"

"Because the seat next to me was the only empty one in the whole class," Severus muttered.

"Maybe at first. But two students have dropped out since the beginning of term, so there are other empty seats. But I haven't moved."

Severus looked about to speak, then seemed to rethink it and said instead, "Thanks, for helping Regulus."

Harry shrugged. "He's my friend. I always help my friends," he said with a smile. Severus smiled faintly in return and they turned back to their potion. At the end of class, they were once again the only pair to get it perfect and receive the highest score. They shared a triumphant smile as Professor Slughorn awarded twenty points to each of their houses—covering the points Remus had taken from the three Gryffindor bullies.

Dinner was fare as usual—delicious food and ample teasing. Sirius was now able to laugh along with them, though he still promised revenge on Peter and Harry. It wasn't until they were on the way to the common room afterward that Harry started to notice the repercussions of his actions.

"Mr. Carter! I'd like a word with you," Professor McGonagall called sternly as they passed near her in the corridor. The other four Marauders looked at Harry with wide eyes, though after a moment Remus's widened in understanding.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry answered, gesturing to the others to go on ahead and that he'd meet them in the common room. He had an inkling as to what she wanted to talk to him about, and though he was almost certain to lose points at the least, Harry didn't regret doing what he'd done.

"Come into my office," she said, and Harry followed with a nod. Inside he found one of the three Gryffindor boys he'd hexed in the corridor—the one who hadn't tried to defend himself or his friends verbally, and whom Harry had given a slightly milder version of the hex. He assumed the other two were either in the hospital wing or the common room, spreading rumors.

"Mr. Bole here claims that you hexed him and his friends in the corridor earlier today without cause," McGonagall said, raising her eyebrows as though daring him to deny it.

"I don't deny that I hexed them. But did he tell you the whole story?" Harry asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Professor McGonagall's eyebrow raised higher. "Why don't you relate your version of events, then, Mr. Carter?"

Harry nodded. "Remus and I left lunch early to stop by the library. We were passing the third floor corridor that no one uses very much when a spell came shooting out of it. Naturally we went to investigate. We found Bole and his two friends—Perkins, I think, and Coots—bullying a Slytherin fifth year. He was alone. The spell had been his, I think, that missed. They tried to curse each other again, and I blocked it and told them off for bullying. They turned to leave, then turned around again as the other boy was leaving and shot a hex at his unprotected back. I took offense at Gryffindors attacking a fellow student so dishonorably, and after blocking their spells, I hexed them to prove my point," Harry finished firmly, staring Bole down.

McGonagall listened carefully, then joined Harry in giving Bole a stern look. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me, Mr. Bole? I don't recall you saying anything about another student before Mr. Carter and Mr. Lupin arrived."

The boy colored at being caught in a lie, and finally gave in. "H-he's right, Professor. We did try to hex another student. But he's just a Slytherin, and their seeker at that!"

McGonagall gave him a very dangerous look. "I could care less what color tie he wears or what position on the Quidditch team he plays. Frankly, I am very disappointed in you, and your friends. Since Mr. Lupin already took points off for your behavior, I won't take any more. But the three of you will have two weeks' detention for this offense. Count yourself lucky I will still allow your friends to play on Saturday, provided they are out of the hospital wing by then."

"Yes, Professor," he stammered, then he high-tailed it out of the office.

"Mr. Carter, while I admire your honor, I'm afraid I cannot let you get away with this without punishment. You will have one detention with me Friday night, and I do hope you can limit your defense of other students to verbal only."

"Yes, Professor. Just so you know, though," Harry added with some cheek, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I daresay you will, Mr. Carter. You are far too much like Mr. Potter for your own good," McGonagall replied. "Hurry along now, and assure your friends that I haven't handed you over to Filch to string up by the toes."

Harry grinned and nodded. "See you tomorrow, then," he said cheekily, then he left her office and hurried up to the common room.

When he arrived, he was greeted by quite a number of exclamations. Most prominent was Sirius's cry of, "Harrison! You're alive!"

Harry laughed and joined the Marauders in their usual spot by the fire. "Of course I'm alive. I just finished three weeks' detention with McGonagall. One more lecture won't kill me."

"Did you really hex three other Gryffindors?" James demanded. "For no reason?"

"Oh, there was a reason," Harry corrected him, glaring at Bole from across the common room. Apparently he was still spreading lies. "In fact," he began, raising his voice, "there was a very good reason."

"Oh?" James asked, more curious than angry now.

"Yes. There I was, on my way to the library, when all of a sudden a spell comes flying out of a nearby corridor," Harry began, his voice still raised enough to carry through the common room, which began to quiet as he continued. "Naturally I investigated, and what did I find but three Gryffindor fifth years—Bole, Perkins, and Coots—picking on another student without provocation!"

A general noise of annoyance and even some outrage went up at that. Among Gryffindors, it was unthinkable to attack another person without cause, especially while outnumbering them. And now several people were glaring at Bole.

"I tried to be nice and give them a warning. They pretended to listen and started to walk away. Then, to my utter surprise, they cast at the other student's unprotected back as he left! So naturally I blocked their spells. To prove my point, I hexed them in return," Harry finished angrily. "And," he added warningly, "I'll do it again in a heartbeat." Then he sat down—not able to remember when he'd stood—and let the noise wash over him.

"I hate bullies," Harry muttered as he settled back. His friends exchanged a look, but dropped the subject and spent the rest of the evening finishing up their homework for the following day.

Despite Harry's warning, there were several more incidents leading up to the game, until by the time it came around, everyone had learned to be wary of him and his reputation was secured. Finally, it was Saturday morning. The Great Hall was fuller than usual for breakfast, and the noise level was high. Everyone was excited for what was sure to be a spectacular game. Sirius and James didn't seem nervous at all, but considering both of them had been on the team since second year it wasn't too unusual—Harry himself had mostly lost his pre-game nerves by fifth year, too. However, Harry caught Sirius glancing darkly toward the Slytherin table—more specifically, at Regulus. Once, the younger boy looked up and caught Sirius's eye. He merely sneered back before turning away and engaging in conversation with the student sitting to his right.

A little ways down the table, Harry saw Frank, Alice and Tonks trying to get Marlene to eat something. She'd joined the team only the previous year, when the old chaser graduated. Harry had heard she was really good, but evidently she didn't think so. Mary was talking with Lily on her other side, neither of them seeming all that excited for the game. Though, considering the way they were both dressed—in warm clothes and cloaks slung over the bench between them—it seemed they were planning to watch anyway.

Before breakfast was over, Frank gathered his players and led the way out to the Quidditch pitch to get ready. Remus left with them, as commentator. Harry had been surprised by that little tidbit, but thinking back on all the Quidditch rants James and Sirius had gone into and the mostly enthusiastic responses Remus had given them, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. But with those three gone, Harry and Peter were left to head to the pitch with Tonks, Lily, Mary, and Alice.

Arriving early, the group found a good spot in the stands. The sky was slightly overcast and the air was cold, but there was little wind and it didn't look like it would rain—all in all, a good day for Quidditch. Harry grew more and more excited as the minutes ticked by. He hadn't played Quidditch in almost two years now, thanks to Umbridge's ban at the beginning of fifth year, and he hadn't flown since arriving in the past. He was itching to be up in the air with the other players. Tonks, noticing, nudged him and grinned.

"Jealous, are we?" she said.

"Oh, yeah," Harry replied.

"What position do you play, then?" Peter asked, who was listening in.

Harry shrugged. "I played seeker in pickup games with my friends, but mostly I just like to fly."

"Were you any good?" Lily asked curiously from behind him. Harry shrugged modestly but Tonks grinned.

"Any good? He's the best flyer I've ever seen, and he's never lost a game."

"Joselyn!" Harry whined. "I'm trying to be modest here. I have too lost a game."

Tonks scoffed. "Forgive me; I should have phrased it better. A _fair_ game. Besides, a little bragging would do you good, especially since, in this at least, you deserve it," she added with a slightly softer smile.

"Here they come!" Alice squealed, cutting off any response Harry might have made. And she was right. Just as she finished speaking, Remus's amplified voice echoed over the stadium.

"And we welcome Gryffindor team to the field! Captain and keeper Frank Longbottom, chasers Thomas Wood, James Potter, and Marlene McKinnon, beaters Sirius Black and Danny Coots, with Cameron Perkins as seeker. Coots and Perkins both new this year; we'll see how they perform!" The Gryffindor stands erupted with cheers, added to by Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The Slytheirn stands booed.

"Next we welcome Slytherin onto the field. Captain and beater Forrest Montague, keeper Marcus Avery, chasers Daniel Greengrass, Jase Parkinson, and Martin Davis, beater Montgomery Goyle, and seeker Regulus Black. All are familiar faces from last year," Remus announced over the roar of the crowd. The Slytherin section of the stands exploded with cheers, augmented by a decent portion of Ravenclaw and perhaps a few Hufflepuffs. Many of the Gryffindors booed. "This should be a good game; let's play it fair!"

The entire student body burst into cheers, and the game was on.

A/N: I don't know how to write a Quidditch game! Help!


	15. Quidditch and Hogsmeade

Hello again everyone! I'm sorry for the delay in updating! Thank you to those who gave me advice about the Quidditch game, and everyone else who has reviewed and has stuck with me this far. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter!

 **Chapter 16 Quidditch and Hogsmeade**

"And Gryffindor begins in possession of the ball. A brilliant catch by Potter. Bludger from Goyle—maybe it will hit and knock his ego down a few notches." Laughter in the crowd and even at this distance Harry saw James's indignant look. He could just see Remus's fake-innocent expression. "Nope, no luck this time, Evans. Black saves Potter—"

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed indignantly, even knowing he couldn't hear. Harry grinned while the others laughed. "Oh, I'll get him for that," she muttered to herself. Harry shook his head, still amused, and returned his attention to the game. He saw James pass the ball to Marlene, and in tight formation the three Gryffindor chasers sped up the field unopposed.

"Wood with the quaffle; he's coming up on Avery. Who appears to be yelling at his chasers. If Slytherin doesn't get their head in the game, the lions will beat them again. Not that I'll complain," Remus commented. Harry could hear the grin in his voice. The stadium held its breath as Wood took the shot, and then the stands exploded into cheers as the quaffle soared through the left hoop.

The pace increased after that. The Slytherins were frustrated that Gryffindor had made the first goal, and took that out on Gryffindor by monopolizing the bludgers. They hurtled around the field, passed expertly—though Harry was reluctant to admit it—between Goyle and Montague. The chasers had to weave around the wildly rocketing bludgers to avoid getting hit. Sirius and Coots had their hands full keeping them away from their players. But Harry found his gaze drawn by the seekers.

Regulus was soaring just above the main action, scanning the field for the snitch. Perkins was marking him, hardly bothering to look on his own. And Regulus had noticed. Just as Gryffindor scored again, he went into a sudden dive.

"And it looks like the snitch has been spotted!" Remus's amplified voice echoed through the stadium. Harry quickly scanned the area ahead of the two seekers, but saw nothing.

"No; he's feinting," Harry murmured, his eyes glued to the green-clad player. He barely noticed the surprised murmurs from those around him.

"How can you even tell?" Alice wondered aloud, but no one answered. Regulus suddenly pulled up and shot back into the sky, leaving Perkins to take the bludger Sirius had aimed their way. It hit the end of the boy's broom and sent him spinning off-course before he managed to right himself, a furious look on his face.

"Whoa, a bludger at his own brother? Sirius sure is taking this seriously," Remus commented. Harry and Peter stifled a groan while Tonks chuckled. "Perkins recovers, and they're back to circling the field. Black looks pretty irritated. Greengrass in possession now. Ouch; that must have hurt—Potter collides with Parkinson to stop the pass. At least he caught the quaffle. Penalty to Slytherin. Really, James? Though I won't say he didn't deserve—"

"Mr. Lupin…" McGonagall's amplified voice cut Remus off in clear warning.

"Right. Unbiased. I'll try, Professor," Remus replied cheekily. "Davis takes the penalty shot. Come on, Frank! And he blocks it! Too bad, Slytherin. You'll have to do better than that! Score stands at 50-nil in favor of the lions!" The Gryffindors cheered. "And the quaffle's back in play. Potter in possession, pass to McKinnon, pass to Wood, back to Mck—nope, Greengrass intercepts. Bastard," Remus muttered, but amplified throughout the whole stadium.

"Mr. Lupin!"

"Right. Sorry, Professor. But not sorry to Greengrass, who passes to Davis, back to Greengrass, now to Parkinson." Harry listened incredulously as Remus went from cursing to apologizing and right back into the commentary, all without batting an eye. He heard Tonks sigh, and he glanced over to see the roots of her hair turn slightly pink. Harry grinned and elbowed her.

"Your hair is turning color again," he murmured, unable to stop the amused grin on his face.

"Prat," Tonks muttered, her cheeks coloring before she recovered her composure. Her expression promised retribution.

"Slytherin in possession, heading up the field," Remus continued, a frown in his voice. "Tight formation there, the Gryffindors are having trouble getting in. Are you sure that's allowed, Professor?"

"It's perfectly legal," McGonagall replied, her voice tight.

"Shame. Oh! And Potter dive-bombs into the Slytherin formation. An impressive dive, and the snakes scatter. Looks like Parkinson took a hit. Serves him right."

"Mr. Lupin, don't make me tell you again or it will be detention," McGonagall said firmly.

"Right. Hey, where are the bludgers?" Everyone turned to look, and the four beaters were in a fierce competition for control of the bludgers. "Come on, Sirius, Coots. Get out of there!" There was a groan as Slytherin, taking advantage of the distraction, made a shot for the goal. Frank, who was yelling at his beaters to get things under control, was distracted enough to let the quaffle pass just beyond his fingertips and through the right hoop. "Slytherin scores, 50-10 to Gryffindor. Looks like we've got a beater battle going on as both teams fight for control of the bludgers. Come on, Gryffindor! And _finally_ Sirius breaks through. Gryffindor with the quaffle, McKinnon in possession."

The game started getting dirty after that. The beaters were very active and competitive, and more than one player on both teams got hit. Sirius, clearly getting frustrated, started pulling a number of stunts that were just _barely_ legal. Like aiming his bat at broomsticks instead of bludgers. But the Slytherins weren't any better. James and Marlene were getting the worst of it, James because he was the best and Marlene because she had the least amount of experience on the team. Twice either Sirius or Coots cut in just in time to stop one of them from being hit, and expertly sent the bludgers toward the Slytherin chasers.

"It's getting hot out there," Remus commented, his amplified voice echoing across the pitch. "Oy! That was deliberate!" he exclaimed as Goyle, currently without a bludger, collided with James and sent him spinning off-course. "That cheating scum!" Remus began fiercely, and he continued with a stream of curse words that Harry didn't even realize Remus _knew_.

" _Detention_ , Mr. Lupin! I never!" McGonagall interrupted him.

"Fine. Goyle almost kills my best friend, and another penalty awarded to Gryffindor. Wood takes it, and he shoots. And Avery saves it. Score still stands 130-50 to Gryffindor," Remus finished petulantly.  
"And the quaffle restarts, Slytherin in possession. Greengrass to Davis, Davis to Park—and the snitch has been spotted! It looks real this time. I think we were all getting sick of Black's feints," Remus said. And sure enough, both seekers had suddenly gone into a steep dive. Harry scanned the air below them, and something gold caught the light. Harry's eyes were glued to the chase, though the chasers and the beaters were still playing.

"Watch out, Perkins! That's a bludger!" Remus exclaimed, and the Gryffindor seeker veered sharply to the left to avoid the bludger that came hurtling right through the space he had been seconds before. Montague, who had hit the bludger, sneered in response. "Black still in the chase. Come on, Perkins! Get back in there!"

Harry watched as Regulus sharply veered right to stay on the snitch's tail. Perkins was coming up from below, trying to catch up. He wasn't sure who he was rooting for. He didn't like Perkins because he'd been one of the ones who attacked Regulus with his friends a few days previous, but at the same time he _was_ rooting for Gryffindor.

"Gryffindor scores twice while Avery's distracted by the seeker chase! 150-50 to Gryffindor. Davis takes the quaffle, pass to Greengrass, pass to Parkinson, back to Greengrass—and McKinnon intercepts! She came out of nowhere! McKinnon in possession, shooting down the field with Potter and Wood. Pass to Wood, over Davis's head, pass to Potter, back to McKinnon. Davis tries and fails to intercept. McKinnon shoots—she scores! 160-50 to Gryffindor! Sirius sends a bludger at Regulus. And he's hit! The Slytherin seeker spirals away. Looks like he's hurt his arm. And it looks like he lost the snitch! Gryffindor scores again, 170-50!"

"Wow, the Slytherins really aren't on their game today. They usually put up a bigger fight," Peter commented, his voice dragging Harry's attention away from the game with a jolt.

"They've been playing dirty. Half our points are penalties," Alice responded with a shrug. "And Avery is too easily distracted."

"That's good for us, though," Peter answered.

"Slytherin in possession again," Remus continued. "Davis and Parkinson passing it between them while Greengrass runs interference. Not the best strategy, I have to say. And here comes Wood and McKinnon. Wood makes a grab for the quaffle; Davis blocks him. But McKinnon swoops in and snatches it right out of the air! Great play by the Gryffindor chasers. And she passes to Potter. He's right by the goal. He shoots—score again! 190-50 to Gryffindor! Hah! Take that, you snakes!" Remus exclaimed, and Harry couldn't help but smile at how enthusiastic he was. "Slytherin starts again. Oh, but they're getting frustrated! Parkinson misses the pass. Wood catches it and takes it up the field!"

Harry watched anxiously as Wood headed for the Slytherin goal. He saw Montague line up a shot with the bludger; Goyle was closing in fast on Wood. Sirius was poised nearby. "Wood lines up his shot, and—Goyle collides with Wood just as he shoots! That son of a—The quaffle's going—and it's in! Barely missed the rim on the left goal. But that's a penalty to Gryffindor. Potter takes it—he shoots. And he scores! 210-50 to Gryffindor. And looks like Black has spotted the snitch! It's a close call, Perkins is closing in. He reaches—oh, and a bludger from Goyle knocks him away! Dirty, cheating—" Remus started cursing again. McGonagall reprimanded him fiercely, but Remus shrugged it off. "And Black closes in, Coots lines up a bludger. Coots shoots—Just _barely_ missed! And Black has caught the snitch! 210-200 to Gryffindor! I don't believe I've ever seen anything like it!"

The stands went silent, as if no one could believe what they'd just witnessed. "Gryffindor wins by a mere ten points, but Slytherin takes the snitch!" Remus repeated in faint disbelief.

Suddenly the stands erupted. The Gryffindor fans were cheering loudly, while all the Slytherin fans were cursing up a storm. "And that's game, folks! Come again next time!" Remus finished, then he ended the sonorous charm.

"What a game," Peter said faintly.

"Yeah, who'd have thought, right?" Tonks said, shrugging, but she glanced at Harry and they shared a smile, both of them happy that Regulus had caught the snitch, even if it didn't win his team the game.

Suddenly James and Sirius appeared, still on their brooms, right above them. "Come on! Join the team on the field!" James exclaimed, grinning widely. "Evans? Care to join me?" he asked Lily, extending a hand down to her. Lily eyed his hand like it was something disgusting she'd found on the bottom of her shoe.

"Get lost, Potter. Just because you won doesn't mean I'll worship you like everyone else," she retorted. "Come on, Alice, Mary, Joselyn. Let's go congratulate Marlene," she said, and she turned with a huff. Alice and Mary followed immediately.

"Tough luck, Prongs," Sirius said, slapping James on the shoulder. "Joselyn? Would you do me the honor—" Sirius began, extending his hand with a flourish down to Tonks. Her eyes went wide in surprise, then she glared at him (though with a little less ire than Lily had at James) and followed the other girls.

"Leave my sister alone, Sirius," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Are you guys coming or not?" James asked. Peter grinned and jumped to his feet, and Harry followed. They hurried down the stands onto the field, where they met Remus and then the rest of the team.

"Party in the common room!" Frank exclaimed over the hubbub surrounding the Gryffindor players. "We're still the victors!"

A cheer went up and everyone wearing Gryffindor robes began a mass exodus off the field toward the tower. James was lifted onto the crowd's shoulders, supported mostly by Sirius, while the rest of the players surrounded him and Frank led the pack. Peter and Remus vanished in the Entrance Hall, and reappeared twenty minutes later in the common room with their arms laden with treats from the kitchens. The party lasted long into the night.

"He's so amazing." A sigh.

"Oh, I wish he would ask me to Hogsmeade."

"Oh, no. He looked this way. Do I look all right?"

"Popular, aren't we?" Sirius smirked as they passed the group of whispering girls—most of them in fourth year.

James grinned and ran his hand through his hair, tousling it even more. Harry and Remus rolled their eyes. "What can I say? The girls love the star."

"He _did_ score most of the goals," Harry said with a shrug.

"Aren't you jealous that they aren't paying you the same attention?" Peter asked Sirius with a grin.

Sirius flashed a smile at another pair of girls as they passed that turned into a smirk when they both giggled and blushed. "Nope. The birds _always_ pay attention to me."

Remus rolled his eyes again. "All right, you two heartbreakers. We're going to be late."

"I didn't know you _could_ be late to a town that never closes," Harry pointed out with a smile.

"True. But if we don't get there early enough, all the shops will be packed," James said matter-of-factly.

"Which is why we need to hurry. So stop preening and move it," Remus said again, giving both Sirius and James a shove forward and making them both stumble. Harry was fairly certain he'd purposely pushed them a little too hard.

"Fine, fine," Sirius grumbled and sped up a little.

Before long, they reached the front entrance, where Filch was screening everyone for contraband and McGonagall was checking names against her list.

"Why should he care if we're smuggling stuff _out_ of the castle?" Sirius muttered as he was subjected to the probity-probe. Harry had a sudden flash of deja-vu; he was fairly certain Fred and George had said something similar at one point, and he couldn't help a sort of wistful smile.

Within a few minutes they were finally allowed to pass, and the quintet made their way down the path amidst the crowds of other students toward Hogsmeade. Harry listened in amused silence as James and Sirius debated where to go first—Zonkos or Honeydukes—with occasional input from Remus. Peter was walking just behind them with Harry, chatting casually.

"How did you get permission to come to the village? You don't have a signed permission slip," Peter said suddenly.

Harry was slightly taken aback, but then he shrugged a little and smiled. "Dumbledore gave Joselyn and I special permission, since an actual slip was impossible for us to get. I think he may have said something to the effect of, 'I want you to have the full experience of being a Hogwarts student.' All this, of course, in the middle of telling us how much he was looking forward to us attending," Harry added with a smile, remembering the positively glowing acceptance they'd received via owl a few days after arriving in the past, mingled of course with ample condolences for their loss.

"Oh. That must be nice, having a special commendation from the headmaster," Peter commented.

Harry shrugged. "It's not that big a deal. If I really cared, I wouldn't dare engage in your shenanigans for fear of making him regret inviting us and kicking us out. But it hasn't deterred me from engaging in you guys' pranks and mischief-making at all," he said, grinning.

Peter smirked. "We've gone and corrupted you. You were such a nice, quiet boy at first. I thought you'd be a stickler for rules, but you've broken just as many as we have, and in less time, too."

"It's a bad habit," Harry replied with a grin.

"What's a bad habit?" James turned around, smirking as he began walking backward.

"My penchant for rule-breaking. Peter claims you've corrupted me, but I've never been much for following rules or heeding authority," Harry replied, grinning.

"Oh, good. I hadn't noticed," James said with a wink. "By the way," he began, glancing at Sirius, who was animatedly debating with Remus the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate and if white chocolate should even count as chocolate, "do you want to help us with a special prank this week?"

"Count me in. What is it?" Harry asked.

James cast another cautionary glance toward Sirius, but he was well and truly distracted. "It's Sirius's birthday on Tuesday," he began in a hushed voice. "It's a Marauder tradition to prank each other on our birthdays. I have a rough idea for this year, and Remus has already given his input. He's in charge of keeping Sirius distracted while we buy supplies. But I need to refine it, and I need help."

Sirius's birthday? Harry had never even thought to find out when his birthday was. He felt slightly guilty now, and so he agreed enthusiastically. He couldn't make it up to his godfather, but he could help Sirius have a good seventeenth birthday. "I'm in. What do you need?"

By now they'd reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Remus glanced back at the group of three and flashed them a thumbs-up before leading Sirius into Honeydukes. James nodded back, then grabbed Harry's and Peter's arms and dragged them toward Zonkos.

"Okay. So, the idea is to wake him up in a memorable fashion, but much more original than fireworks or dumping water on his head. We did that in first and second year anyway. Then figure out some little, ongoing pranks to last the rest of the day, and have a big show in the Great Hall during dinner. Any ideas?"

"We could reuse the potion from Halloween—" Harry began, but James interrupted him, shaking his head.

"Harry, Harry. The very first rule of being a prankster is, _never_ reuse a prank."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know that. I have a prankster for a sister. I had to get smart really fast. I meant, the same idea but customize the colors. You know, choose what colors he'll turn and when."

"I think it's a good idea. Wouldn't it be funny if he suddenly changed color to pink around a certain girl—or even a boy? The whole school knows what the colors are supposed to mean, anyway. It'll make them think he likes them. We could even—" Peter began.

"Change his cologne to a love potion?" James interjected with a wide grin, and Peter nodded. "That's brilliant, Pete! We could rig it so the person or persons of our choice suddenly become infatuated with him for a day!"

"Huh. I thought only you and Sirius could read each other's minds like that," Harry observed with a smile.

"Nope. It's a Marauder secret—we can _all_ read each other's minds," James said, smirking. "So you'd better catch up, Harry, or we'll be forced to expel you from the Marauders," he added.

"Perish the thought!" Harry exclaimed. "I'll get better, I promise."

"So, what about the wake-up call?" Peter asked.

"Maybe we could make him _think_ we dumped cold water on him, but really dump the potion on him? And leave the charm so he can't see his own colors. He'll think it was just water, be annoyed at us for doing something so cliché, and go about his day as if nothing happened," Harry suggested. "And maybe throw in some noisemakers, and make his morning as loud as he always makes it for us." Sirius had an annoying habit of noisily and obnoxiously waking the rest of the boys if he was the first or second person awake.

"Revenge, in the form of a birthday prank. I like it," James said, rubbing his hands together. "Perfect. Let's divide and conquer, then. Harry, potions. Peter, noisemakers, and little pranks for throughout the day. Anything you think would be funny. And I'll get the rest. Go!"


	16. The Birthday Prank

First I want to say I am _soooo_ sorry for taking so long to update! It's inexcusable! I'll try to get back on track, but my update schedule will probably end up being every other week now since finals are coming up and I'm going to be busy. On the plus side, this chapter is extra-long, with lots of funny and a little bit of feels. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!

 **Chapter 17 The Birthday Prank**

After nearly an hour in Zonko's, James and Peter were finally finished. Harry had waited for them just outside, and he raised an eyebrow at the bags and boxes the two were laden with when they emerged.

"Are you sure that isn't too much?" Harry asked amusedly while James tried to juggle his boxes into one hand in order to reach his wand and cast a shrinking charm.

"I'm stocking up, too," he answered. "Not _all_ of this is for Sirius…at least not this week," he added, grinning.

Harry shook his head, amused. He helped Peter shrink down his purchases then accompanied the other two boys to Honeydukes, where they stocked up on their own candy stashes and a purchased a few selections to give as gifts to Sirius. At about one o'clock, they met Remus and Sirius in the Three Broomsticks for lunch. It went as well as planned. Sirius had no idea what they were up to, and the other four exchanged conspiratorial glances when he wasn't looking. When they finished lunch, they split up again. This time Peter went with Sirius to keep him occupied while the other three bought their gifts for the birthday boy.

Harry accompanied Remus to Quality Quidditch Supplies, wondering what he could get his not-yet-godfather and good friend for his seventeenth birthday.

"You could always just get him dungbombs," Remus suggested with a grin as they browsed the beaters' gear that was on display.

"And risk him using them on me? No, thanks," Harry said, shaking his head. "I know we haven't been friends for that long, but I want to get him something meaningful. He _is_ coming of age."

"That's going to be tough, then. He hates reading—except for raunchy muggle romance novels. It's a secret obsession," Remus explained at the dumbfounded look on Harry's face. "He's got a stash in his trunk. Though, I doubt he realizes I know. I stumbled across them while trying to find a book of mine that he stole," Remus added with slight irritation. "James's parents will probably take care of the traditional watch—he's certainly not getting anything from _his_ parents," he continued. "And Peter is the only one brave enough to get him prank supplies. James will probably get him something Quidditch-related, but only after browsing half a dozen stores and rejecting a bunch of other, better ideas."

"What are you getting him, then?"

Remus smirked. "It's a secret."

"Come on, Moony! You can tell me; I won't tell."

"Nope. I want all of you to be surprised," Remus answered. "Just think about what you know about him, and it will come to you. Don't overthink it, though."

Harry sighed. "Fine. You're no help," he said, giving Remus a half-hearted glare. Remus smiled and shrugged.

"I live to please," he said. Harry scowled playfully.

They spent a little while longer in Quality Quidditch Supplies, but nothing struck their fancy, so they left and headed for a local bookshop that Remus really liked. Harry had never seen it before, and judging from its appearance, he assumed it had shut down before his time—it didn't look like it was doing very well. The shopkeeper greeted Remus with familiarity and had him introduce Harry, then the two went to browse.

"None of the others ever want to come here with me," Remus explained as they scanned the shelves. "Only Peter has ever set foot here, and that only once. Sirius claims he'll have a terrible allergic reaction to the smell of old books and die if he came within a hundred feet of it, and James agrees." Remus scoffed.

"That's Sirius for you," Harry said with a smile.

"At any rate, I'm glad I have someone to share my love of books with with _out_ being teased or accused of being too friendly with Lily."

"Are you good friends, then? I don't see you together much," Harry said.

Remus shrugged. "It's mostly just prefect stuff, but we do study together on occasion. However, I've been trying to avoid her this year because it seems like James has gotten even _more_ possessive. Frankly, I'm afraid he'll hex me if he sees us together," he said with a faint smile.

"I get that look, too," Harry replied, smiling back. "I don't have the courage to tell him that she comes to me most of the time." At least once a week, Lily—fulfilling her duty as prefect and as a result of their growing friendship—approached Harry and encouraged him to join her and, occasionally, her roommates while they studied. They'd been paired together once or twice in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy for group projects as well, and she always wanted to swap potions ideas. In fact, a few days after the first school-wide prank they'd pulled, Lily had approached him and asked how he'd gotten the mood potion to so accurately mimic the effects of a mood ring. They'd gotten to be pretty good friends over the last few months.

Remus smiled in response to Harry's comment. "He'd never believe you anyway. By the way, there's a good selection of DADA books two aisles down," he commented, because Harry appeared to be growing slightly bored of browsing Charms and Arithmancy. "I know that's your favorite subject. There's a good Potions section, too."

"Thanks, Remus," Harry said with a nod, and he left to find the potions books.

A little over an hour later, Remus found Harry sitting at the little bistro table toward the back of the shop with a worn, thick book on potions theory and an index of unusual potions. Remus cleared his throat as he approached, and grinned when Harry jumped.

"Don't do that do me, Moony!" Harry complained once he'd caught his breath. He'd been engrossed in the section on ingredient substitution in a voice-changing potion and hadn't heard the other boy approach.

Remus grinned. "It's only fair that I get to do it to someone else, since everyone does it to me all the time. But it's getting late. We should probably meet the others and head back to the castle."

Harry sighed. "All right." He got to his feet and closed the book, carefully marking his place in the book, then brought it to the counter. Remus looked at him incredulously, but Harry ignored him as he shelled out a galleon and eight sickles for the book. Then he shrunk it and put a feather-light charm on it before putting it in his pocket.

"If you keep this up, you'll be a true bibliophile like me," Remus said with a grin as they headed toward Honeydukes, their designated meeting point.

"Perfect. My deepest desire is to be just like you, Moony," Harry replied with a straight face. When Remus colored slightly in disbelief, though, he burst into laughter and fled from the wrath of Remus's wand, which was already casting a hair-thickening charm at Harry's eyebrows. By the time they arrived outside Honeydukes, Harry's eyebrows—that had somehow turned fuchsia—covered his eyes and he sported green and gold war paint. Remus, however, had not escaped unscathed—blue-grey feathers that looked suspiciously similar to Buckbeak's sprouted from his head instead of hair, and his robes were a garish shade of pink that clashed terribly with his maroon scarf. They were also both breathless from laughter.

"Why didn't you include us in your fun, Harrison?" Sirius demanded.

"You didn't come to the bookshop," Harry answered breathlessly, still half-laughing.

"Yeah. Didn't you know? Us bookworms always have the most fun," Remus replied, elbowing Harry's arm. Harry just grinned.

"I'm hurt, Moony, Russet. Hurt," Sirius said, pouting. James grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Let's just get back to the castle, before we get kicked out for disturbing the peace."

Peter glanced at Harry and caught his eye, and Harry winked at him. A grin spreading across his face, Peter lowered his wand in his sleeve to just poke the tip out, and he cast a tickling hex at James, followed immediately by a charm that turned his robes bright orange. Sirius burst out laughing.

James glared at him (while wheezing in laughter from the tickling charm), assuming he had cast the spells, and retaliated by turning Sirius's perfectly styled hair into a literal bird's nest. Sirius exclaimed in mock outrage and attacked back, but James dodged and his spell hit Peter. Peter retaliated with another tickling hex, and Sirius fled. Harry and Remus exchanged a look, then, grinning, threw themselves into the fray.

The five boys raced back to the castle, prank spells flying everywhere. Anyone standing in the way was either hit or had to move away quickly to avoid being hit. Unfortunately, they passed Lily Evans with her friends (including Tonks) on the way back, and one of James's spells went astray, turning her auburn hair an electric blue.

"Potter!" she screamed, and made chase. Grinning, Harry deliberately aimed another feather-sprouting spell at his surrogate sister so her feathers matched Remus's and mixed with her hair. Tonks, who was the only one who understood the joke, exclaimed in surprise and outrage and joined the chase as well. Several other students, from multiple houses, saw them pass and a few even joined in. By the time they reached the castle, there were over a dozen people sporting various colored hair and robes and other unusual appendages, all shouting and laughing and having the time of their life.

"Potter! Black! Carter! Lupin! Pettigrew! _Detention!_ " Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the chaos, and everyone stopped short. Several tripped and fell, or skidded to a stop.

"What about everyone else?" James called back cheekily. "And how do you know _we_ started it?"

"Because you _always_ start it," McGonagall answered sternly. "Misses Evans, Carter, Smith, McKinnon, and Shang, messers Jones, Longbottom, Davies, Bell, Chase. Five points from each of you. And five points each from you five, too," the professor added firmly, turning back to the Marauders. "Your detention will be tomorrow night in my office, and I will assign you your different tasks. Now, anyone who cannot reverse the spells on them, come with me. The rest of you, sort yourselves out _now_."

Sheepishly, two fourth year Hufflepuffs and a third year Ravenclaw went with Professor McGonagall, all of them sporting various appendages or other unusual spell effects. The rest of them dispersed after reluctantly reversing the physical changes they'd suffered. Except for Remus and Tonks. Harry had fixed the charm on them so only he could remove it. Remus looked faintly amused and left his feathers as they were, taking the place of his hair. Tonks, however, glowered at Harry. Her hair was slowly changing from black to a mix of pink and orange. Harry cheerfully refused to remove the charm until that night. Everyone assumed the change in her hair color was a delayed color-changing charm. Lily, however, looked murderous.

"Potter, how _dare_ you drag me into another one of your schemes! As if being the Quidditch star wasn't enough, you had to go and make a spectacle of yourself— _and_ drag so many of your fellow students into it as well! Gryffindor just lost sixty-five points because of you!"

"Oy! It wasn't _me_ who cast the first spell this time!" James protested. "I got dragged into this as much as you did."

Lily scoffed. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" she asked, highly incredulous. "And I suppose you turning my hair blue was an accident, as well?"

"Actually, it wa—"

"Just give it up, Prongs," Remus interrupted, shaking his head. "You're only making yourself look worse."

"But—" James began, but Peter cut him off this time.

"Moony's right, James. Admit you're guilty even if you're not and she'll like you better."

"Pete's right," Harry said, shrugging. "By denying it, you're only perpetuating her claim that you're an arrogant and attention-seeking prat. Better admit you're wrong and move on. Or you'll get punished," he said, glancing at Tonks. She gave him a very stern look and nodded firmly.

Lily glared at James again. "If I catch you pranking again, I'll write you up on charges of harassment," she said fiercely.

"Harassment! But—"

"Get lost, Potter," Lily said coldly. She shoved past him—making him stumble—and stomped toward the castle. They'd been detained in the courtyard near the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

James watched her go with a forlorn look on his face. "Why can't she just cut me some slack?" he lamented. "It wasn't even my fault this time."

"Sorry," Harry said with a shrug. He was very conscious of Tonks's continued glare, and it made him uneasy. But he did his best to ignore it. "Though Remus cast the first spell."

"Let's just go get dinner," Peter said. "You can argue or complain later."

"I second that!" Sirius announced. "After all this exercise, I'm _starving_."

Harry smiled at his exaggeration and led the way into the castle. He had realized what Sirius liked best after the impromptu prank war, and now knew exactly what he would give him for his birthday. Though he'd need a little help from the Room of Requirement…

The rest of the evening passed calmly. About an hour after dinner, Harry finally caved to Tonks's glare and threats and removed the charm on both her and Remus. Her glare still promised retribution, but at least he was let off the hook for the rest of the night. Remus just thought it was all in good fun and asked Harry how he'd managed to set the spell so only he could remove it. Harry was reluctant to tell him for fear he and the others would use it for more mischief. Finally, though, he gave in, but out of earshot of the others—even though it was almost certain that Remus would tell them eventually.

Monday was unusually busy for Harry. Not only did he have his regular classes and homework, but James recruited his help in getting all the pranks ready for Sirius's birthday the next day. And there were a lot more than he'd thought. Even with Remus and Peter helping, it was a lot of work, and it was hard to be discrete. And that didn't include their detentions for the impromptu prank war the previous day. At about nine-thirty at night, Harry finally escaped to the Room of Requirement to get his gift ready. He'd been lucky and had only been kept for about an hour for his detention, which was marking essays again, this time for Slughorn. Remus was stuck marking McGonagall's essays and the others were scrubbing floors.

Hours later, Harry finally had everything ready. It was late, so Harry was unsurprised to find the common room empty and the other boys back from detention and already asleep when he returned to the tower. He carefully placed his gift in his trunk, then turned in, excited for the next day.

Harry was woken by someone shaking his shoulder and putting a hand over his mouth. He jumped and instinctively cast a wandless stinging hex; he was answered by a quiet yelp.

"Ow! What was that for?" James hissed.

"I've warned you that I'm known to hex first and ask questions later," Harry growled back as his heart rate slowed. "You could have just said my name; I'm not _that_ deep of a sleeper."

"Whatever," James muttered, and Harry could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "Help me get the wake-up call ready. Feel free to add your own personal touch," he added, all irritation gone.

"What about Remus and Peter?" Harry asked, pushing his covers back and swinging his legs off the bed.

"Peter's already rigging the staircase and Remus is doing the common room. We get the bed and the bathroom," James replied.

"Got it," Harry answered. He no longer cared about being woken early—the room was still pitch-dark. "I'll take the bathroom, and when the others get back we'll wake him with a bang."

"That's the spirit!" James whisper-cheered. Harry grinned and headed to the bathroom.

He rigged the shower to spray maroon and gold confetti with the water, but only when Sirius was the one to turn it on. He did the same to the faucet. He also switched out Sirius's cologne with the diluted Amortentia he'd purchased at Zonko's with a simple switching spell on the liquids. He charmed Sirius's brush to turn his hair more and more gold with each stroke (and with how much Sirius brushed his hair, it would be completely gold by the time he finished in the bathroom). Then Harry used a bar of soap to write "Happy Seventeenth, Sirius!" on the mirror. And if and when Sirius tried to wash or wipe it off (because Harry wrote over the whole mirror), he charmed the mirror to sing "happy birthday" every time Sirius stood in front of it. Harry added a few more surprises, triple-checked his spells, then nodded to himself, satisfied, before leaving the bathroom. He left one final touch as he closed the door, for more confetti to rain from the doorframe when the doors were opened from the inside, and left a mild sticking charm on said confetti.

James was finishing up the decorating, and he glanced up when Harry left the bathroom. They exchanged a conspiratorial grin, then James went to get Remus and Peter while Harry got the altered mood potion from his trunk. He put a cooling spell on the container, which would quickly chill the contents to just above freezing. The potion was the same consistency as water, though it swirled in increasingly dark colors as it cooled.

A few minutes later, James, Remus, and Peter returned, and Remus left a charm on the door. They all grinned at each other, then got out their various noisemakers in as much silence as they could muster, though whispers of laughter broke the silence of the lightening room. Peter threw open the curtains, then they gathered around Sirius's bed. His light snores reached their ears, and they exchanged a grin. On a silent signal, James and Remus spelled the hangings open, letting in the light.

"Three, two, one!" Harry counted down, and on "one" he threw the ice-cold potion over Sirius's head and the others set off their noisemakers.

"Gah! Cold! Cold!" Sirius jerked upright, banging his head on the headboard, potion dripping off his hair. The noise was deafening. Remus had an air horn, Peter set off a few fireworks, and James elected for a sonorous charm as they all shouted,

"Happy Birthday, Sirius!"

"Ah! Too loud!" Sirius cringed, covering his ears with his hands. Then he shivered, and realized he was dripping wet. "Cold water? How infantile can you get?" But he grinned. He missed the grins the other four shared as the potion started to take effect and a multitude of colors swirled across his skin.

"Hurry and get ready, or you'll miss breakfast," Remus said with a smirk. "Birthday boy," he added, and matching smirks spread across the other boys' faces. Sirius glanced at each of them, his expression changing from excited to wary.

"I'd ask what you've got planned, but I'm kind of afraid of the answer," he said. "Just keep in mind, though, that I'll have to out-do you on your own birthdays."

"Go shower, Padfoot. You smell like wet dog," James said, shoving him toward the bathroom. Sirius looked mortally offended for a moment and punched James in retaliation, then he entered the bathroom. A moment later the sound of running water met their ears.

"Moony," Harry began, "would it be acceptable for you to show us the prefect's bathroom and allow us to use it? Because—"

"HARRISON!" Sirius shouted from the bathroom. Harry cringed, and Remus grinned.

"I suppose, since our bathroom might be unusable for the time being," he said.

"What did you do?" Peter asked. Harry shrugged.

"I rigged just about everything in there. Including his shampoo."

The other boys grinned. "He's going to murder you, you know," James said matter-of-factly.

Harry shrugged. "I can take it. Shall we get ready too, then? We've got a day of pranking ahead of us. We'll want to look our best," he added with a wink. The others grinned and nodded in agreement, then began to get ready for the day.

Over the next half hour, there were regular exclamations of surprise and mock outrage, mingled with the pops and bangs of the other tricks the boys had rigged. When Sirius emerged from the bathroom, he was quite the sight. His hair was clumped into something resembling dreadlocks and streaked through with gold. The potion from that morning had turned his skin a garish mix of colors ranging from crimson to puke green. Maroon and gold confetti stuck to Sirius's hair and robes, which had somehow ended up pink with lettering across the back that read "Birthday boy" and changed color intermittently. Sirius's expression was a mix of chagrin and amused horror. Peter was quick with the camera Harry had loaned him. The room was a mess as well—confetti stuck to nearly everything, Sirius's bed where the potion had landed swirled in an idle mix of random colors, and the streamers and banners James had hung were beginning to sag, their colors changing every few seconds.

"I have to say, you're off to a good start," Sirius said as the five boys headed down to breakfast. Then the trick step Peter had rigged in the stairs from the dorms vanished, causing Sirius to stumble down three more steps. Where he caught himself against the wall, he set off an off-key, disembodied chorus of "Happy Birthday." Down in the common room, those whom Remus had recruited joined in the singing. Sirius, of course, stopped on the stairs and raised his wand and pretended to direct them until the song was over, a wide grin on his face. As he exited the stairwell, the Amortentia cologne kicked in, and several girls (and two boys) actually swooned when he passed. Peter took a number of pictures before they even reached the portrait hole.

The walk down to the Great Hall was uneventful, which made Sirius slightly nervous. However, he submitted good-naturedly to the laughter and occasional birthday wishes that greeted him when he entered the Hall and took his seat at the Gryffindor table.

"I do hope this wears off before classes," Professor McGonagall said from behind Sirius, making all of them jump slightly in surprise. "I'd hate to assign detentions for being a distraction."

"Don't worry, Professor. It'll all go away, eventually," James replied with a cheeky grin. McGonagall gave him a stern look, but her lips twitched upward.

"See that it does. Happy Birthday, Mr. Black."

Sirius grinned. "Thanks, Professor," he replied, and McGonagall left.

Breakfast passed also without incident, though towards the end the sticking charm on the confetti started to wear off. As a result, Sirius left a trail of it through the corridors as the group headed to their first class of the day. They were lucky to avoid the cantankerous caretaker on their way to Charms. Professor Flitwick complimented them on their charms work when they entered, and echoed McGonagall's birthday wish—he, like every other professor and the majority of the student body, knew that a Marauder showing up to class affected extensively by various spells while the others hid their laughter meant it was that Marauder's birthday.

The remainder of the day was punctuated by small yet amusing pranks. Harry brought out the muggle hand buzzer during lunch, where it was passed from hand to hand at random intervals. Poor Sirius had no idea what to make of it, and by the end of lunch he was wary of _anyone_ touching him (because a few people outside the Marauders had gotten a hold of the buzzer, and under the pretext of wishing Sirius a happy birthday had clapped him on the shoulder and set it off).

The mood potion worked like a charm, any of the four other Marauders changing Sirius's color according to their heart's desires. In fact, it almost became a silent contest among the four of them to see who could choose the most garish colors or time the change just right so as to put Sirius in embarrassing and awkward situations.

The most memorable instance occurred on the way to dinner after the last class of the day. The corridors were crowded because everyone was heading for the Great Hall. Although the Amortentia Harry had switched with Sirius's cologne was wearing off, if anyone brushed against Sirius they got a dose of it. Sometimes one or another Marauder would choose to change Sirius's skin color to a light pink or red (to indicate romantic attraction) when a girl accidentally bumped him in the crowd. But this time, _Remus_ of all people decided to turn Sirius a bright pink when a fifth year Ravenclaw boy bumped into him in his hurry. To everyone else's surprise and amusement, the boy stopped in his tracks and flushed dark red. Sirius and the Ravenclaw boy stared at each other for a long moment, Sirius confused and the other boy thoroughly flustered. Then suddenly, the Ravenclaw boy rose onto his toes and gave Sirius a peck right on the lips before turning and fleeing, his face redder than a tomato. Undoubtedly the boy's assertiveness was the result of the love potion.

After a moment of utter shock, Remus, Peter, James, and Harry couldn't help but burst into helpless laughter. Sirius was thoroughly baffled by the event, and for a moment he just stared in the direction the boy had fled. He looked so clueless as the laughter spread that it was several minutes before any of the Marauders could catch their breath. Then, just as they were calming down, one of them would glance at Sirius (who hadn't moved nor changed his expression) and burst into laughter all over again.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall's stern voice startled all of them. Peter, who had been leaning on Harry and laughing helplessly, slipped and fell to the ground, gasping. His head collided with Harry's chin on the way down, making him grunt in pain. Sirius snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in and whipped around, his elbow knocking into James's ribs. James gasped and dropped to his knees, taking Remus down with him. Remus tripped and accidentally kicked Sirius's ankle, making _him_ fall as well. Then, in typical Sirius fashion, Sirius grabbed Harry's wrist and yanked him down with them, so all five boys were lying in a groaning heap on the floor in the middle of the corridor.

"N-nothing, Professor," James answered breathlessly.

"Then explain this chaos," she stated firmly, and the boys glanced around. James's bag had fallen open, and a flask of the color-changing potion they'd planned to use on Sirius during dinner had fallen out and shattered, and now a lurid orange color was spreading across the stone floor, dyeing everything it touched. Unfortunately, that included all five Marauders _and_ the hem of Professor McGonagall's robe, in addition to several students' shoes.

"Oops?" Harry offered, wondering how they could possibly talk themselves out of this one.

"There is no 'oops' about it, Mr. Carter. Detention for all of you, tomorrow night in my office at 7 o'clock sharp, for defacing school property," McGonagall said sternly, then she swept her now-mottled orange robes off the floor and marched away.

"Happy Birthday, Sirius," James said, but it sounded like a question. Remus rolled his eyes but couldn't quite hide his grin.

"I think this is better than what we'd planned anyway," Peter added as he picked himself up off the floor. He offered a hand down to Harry, who accepted it and let Peter pull him to his feet.

"I agree. I prefer that color on you rather than on me anyway," Sirius said with a grin, yanking James to his feet as well. James then turned and helped Remus up. They shared a sheepish smile as they saw the huge orange spot in the middle of the corridor.

Dinner thankfully passed without incident—aside from the banners, streamers, confetti, and noisemakers that James, Harry, Remus, and Peter set off halfway through the meal, wishing Sirius a happy birthday. Harry could feel McGonagall's glare as they cheered, and then as Peter stood up and directed the student body in a chorus of the birthday song with his wand. Sirius, of course, stood and bowed and used a sonorous charm to lengthily state his thanks for the song and the pranks and declare that he was now officially of age. His voice echoed off the walls of the Great Hall, and they didn't escape without another week's detention for the disturbance.

Sirius, perhaps as to be expected, simply reapplied the sonorous charm and added a thank-you directed to Professor McGonagall, stating cheerfully, "It wouldn't be a birthday without detention from you, Minnie!"

Laughter filled the hall at Sirius's words, and dinner ended in peace (aside from the usual Marauder antics). Then the boys headed up to their dorm, Sirius in the lead because he knew that the end of dinner meant presents. He didn't seem to care that his hair was still gold, his skin mottled yellow, green, purple, and navy blue with swirls of grey, and his entire appearance resembling something closer to an abstract painting than a seventeen-year-old boy. He was simply excited because it was his birthday.

When they got to the dorm, the five boys spread out. Sirius sat anxiously on his bed, waiting for the others to gather. But they each took out books or parchment and made no sign of retrieving presents or anything. After about ten minutes, Sirius got impatient.

"Is it time for presents now?" he whined. The others exchanged a look.

"Presents? What presents?" Remus furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What would we get you presents for?" James added with a similar expression. Harry and Peter avoided each other's eye to keep from breaking out into laughter at the horror and dismay on Sirius's face. (They might have slipped a weak gullibility potion into his pumpkin juice at dinner for just this reason, knowing Sirius would ordinarily see through it in an instant.)

"But…it's my birthday…" Sirius looked around disappointedly at each of them with his famous kicked-puppy look. They all stared back steadily, varying degrees of confusion on their faces. Then James's lip twitched and Peter poorly disguised a snicker as a cough, and the disappointment vanished from Sirius's face.

"You guys are having me on!" he exclaimed indignantly, and all of them burst into laughter.

"You didn't honestly believe that we would forget about your birthday, did you?" James asked with a grin, pulling a wrapped package from behind his pillow. The others did the same, pulling packages of various sizes and shapes from hidden pockets, behind pillows, and, in Peter's case, out of his sock—while he wore it. Then he unshrunk the pin-sized box until it was the size of Peter's head. Sirius's face brightened considerably until his excitement was such that, were he in his dog form, his tail would have been wagging uncontrollably.

"So whose do you want first?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Hmm…" Sirius mused, looking at the different-sized packages the others were all holding out. "Peter's, 'cuz it's big and lopsided and mysterious," he replied, grinning. Peter grinned back and handed Sirius the present the others moved to gather around (and on) Sirius's bed to watch him unwrap it.

Peter perched on the edge of the bed and watched excitedly as Sirius literally tore through the paper (and threw it at James and Remus). Eventually several boxes emerged of various sizes, clearly held together by magic.

"Godric, Pete, what is all this?" Sirius asked, incredulously amused.

"Open them and find out," Peter answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world (which, of course, it was).

With a mischievous grin, Sirius obeyed. Any scrap paper was thrown at Harry, who flicked it aside with a casual wave of his wand and piled it up against Sirius's headboard (Naturally with a few prank spells set to go off when he touched it, which he would have to in order to sleep on his pillow that night).

Most of the boxes from Peter contained sweets and the typical prank supplies that they used all the time, though one of the biggest boxes contained some specialty items that had just barely been released. Sirius's face lit up when he saw them.

"Wow! This is awesome, mate!"

"Happy Birthday, Padfoot," Peter answered with a smile. "Just…remember who gave them to you and be merciful, okay?"

Sirius eyed Peter with a glint in his eye, but he didn't answer. Peter looked like he might be starting to regret getting Sirius so many dungbombs and other chaos-causing contraband.

"Who's next, then?" Remus asked.

Sirius glanced at the remaining packages, deciding which one looked the most interesting. "Yours, Moony," he finally said. Remus smiled and tossed over the rectangular package. When Sirius caught it, though, he pouted.

"A book, Moon? I'm disappointed in you."

"Open it, you prat," Remus retorted, whacking Sirius on the shoulder.

"Ow! Fine, fine. But if it's another study aid…" he let the threat trail off. Harry smiled, remembering all the planners and study helps Hermione had given him over the years. Sirius saw it and frowned. "What are you laughing at?" he grumbled, eyeing the package he held like one might handle a live grenade.

"I just had a friend back home who would always give me planners and the like. Any gift from her was almost guaranteed to be a book."

"Her?" Sirius asked, that glint back in his eye.

"Open the thing already, Padfoot!" James broke in with a slight whine. "So you can open mine!"

"Okay, okay." Sirius tore into the package (and threw the paper at Remus). What remained in his hands was, as predicted, a book. But not just any book. "'A Prankster's Best Friend,'" Sirius murmured, reading the cover. "By R. J. 'Moony' Lupin. _You_ wrote this?" Sirius asked in disbelief, looking up at Remus.

"Compiled, really," he answered with a shrug. "It's all those secrets and ideas I refused to tell you plus some, and other helpful tips and tricks."

"Moony's secrets?" Sirius's eyes lit up.

"I figured since you're of age now, you'd at least be _somewhat_ responsible now. Don't make me regret it," Remus warned, raising an eyebrow.

"Never," Sirius replied solemnly, looking like he was dying to try out some of those secret pranks.

"I understand why you gave it that title," Harry commented, amused.

"Naturally," Remus replied while the others snickered and Sirius remained oblivious. Then James handed Sirius his present.

Sirius gave the oddly-shaped package a curious look, then shrugged and tore off the paper (and threw it at Harry, who added it to the pile of rigged scrap paper behind him). Then Sirius stared in confusion at a potions vial and a blank sheet of parchment. "Uh, Prongs? What is this? You're not pranking me again, are you?"

James looked affronted. "Me? Prank? Never!" he declared. Then he started to explain, his expression now looking a little nervous. "The parchment is an unofficial adoption form, not valid yet. The potion…is an adoption potion," James said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Sirius stared at him in shock, but with a touch of hope rising in his face. James continued. "Each of us puts a drop of blood into the potion, then you drink it. It doesn't take away your Black name or inheritance, but it makes you a Potter in name as well, and gives you a place as an official member of the Potter family. The parchment will then change and become an official document that the adoption has taken place. It's blank now because I want it to be your choice. My parents have already taken the necessary steps. All you need to do is drink the potion to make it official. It'd be cool, y'know? You'd sort of be my real brother then—not that you aren't already, but—"

"Shut up, Prongs," Sirius said hoarsely, cutting James off with a hug. His voice sounded congested, like he'd suddenly caught a bad head cold. After recovering from the surprise, James returned the hug. A moment later they separated. "Where's your potions knife?"

A smile spreading across James's face, he flicked his wand in a lazy summoning charm and the requested knife flew toward him from his trunk. James caught it neatly by the hilt and held it out to Sirius, who took it. Without hesitation, Sirius pricked the tip of his middle finger with the blade. James took the knife back and did the same, then the two of them held their cut fingers over the open vial and let a single drop of blood fall into the potion. It hissed and turned dark red, then Sirius threw it down like a shot, grimacing at the taste. The parchment glowed and writing formed on it, formally declaring Sirius Orion Black an honorary member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter.

A moment passed while James and Sirius grinned at each other, then Harry spoke. "My gift utterly pales in comparison to James's," he commented. "Maybe I should just keep it."

"Oy! Hand it over, Harrison, or I'll take it by force!"

"Just kidding, Padfoot," Harry said with a grin and handed over the package.

Sirius eyed it in dismay as he saw its rectangular shape. "It's not another book, is it?"

"Open it and find out," Harry replied matter-of-factly, hiding his nerves with a grin. He'd put a lot of work into his gift for Sirius, and he hoped he appreciated it.

Sirius scowled playfully, then tore off the paper. (This time it ended up in Peter's face.) When the paper was removed, a leather-bound photo album lay in Sirius's lap with runes engraved on the spine. A slightly confused look on his face, Sirius ran a finger over the cover, then opened it. His face broke into a smile at seeing the first picture on the page—one of the five of them on Halloween. The exposure was such that they could all see the ridiculous colors from the mood potion, and they all had matching orange and black streaks in their hair. Sirius flipped through a few more pages, his smile growing wider.

"Where did you get all the photos?" he asked.

"My sister carries her camera with her all the time, hoping to get some embarrassing shots of me. She took most of the prank ones, and I just asked for a few copies. The rest I took from pensieve memories."

"That explains why some of them are from earlier years," James mused, flipping through the album as well. "Who'd you get the memories from?"

"Me," Remus said.

"And me," Peter replied.

"Because Prongs can't keep a secret," Remus added with a grin.

"I can, too! You're proof, and I have one more!" James protested. He jumped off the bed and rummaged through his trunk for a few minutes before coming up with a small wrapped box. Joining them again on the bed, he said, "My folks sent this to me two weeks ago, told me to keep it for Sirius's birthday. I never spoke a word about it!"

"Well, what is it, then?" Sirius asked excitedly. James just smiled and handed it over. Sirius tore off the paper and threw it back at James, then a look of surprise spread over his face as he opened the box and saw the gold watch that lay inside.

"They knew you probably wouldn't get the traditional watch from your parents, so my folks decided to take care of it. It belonged to my mum's grandfather, so it's actually a Black heirloom. I'll be getting the one from my dad's dad come my birthday," James explained.

"Don't forget to write and say thank you," Remus said with a smile. Sirius smiled back.

"I will. And, thank you, all of you. This has been the best birthday ever!" he exclaimed, falling backward onto the pile of paper.

The prank spells Harry (and some of the others, once they'd seen what Harry was doing) had set all went off at once in a series of bangs and colorful explosions. Some of them exploded with diluted stinksap, the stuff they put in gobstones, and a few exploded in confetti, which stuck to the sap. Sirius emerged, coughing, from the cloud of colorful smoke, and the other four burst into hysterical laughter at the stinksap in Sirius's hair, his singed eyebrows, the confetti sticking to his skin, and the many different colors he turned.

"Oy! Enough is enough!" Sirius exclaimed, and he leapt to his feet, brandishing his wand. The other four exchanged looks, then scattered as Sirius began firing prank spells indiscriminately. The dorm room quickly filled with spellfire and shouts of laughter and indignation, and Sirius's birthday quite literally ended with a _bang_ —that resulted in two weeks' detention once McGonagall discovered them.


	17. A Bet and a Duel

Hi everyone! I am so sorry for the long wait, but it looks like this is going to be the new norm. A new semester starts on Monday (my last!) and I won't have as much time to write as I wish I will. So I'll do my best to update monthly, at least.

Another huge thank-you to all of you who have reviewed and are encouraging me to keep writing. I love this story and it makes me happy that you do, too!

 **Chapter 18: A Bet and a Duel**

As November drew to an end, there was a sudden upsurge in the Christmas spirit, which made the mood in the castle considerably lighter than it had been in the week leading up to the Quidditch game. The teachers, sadly, weren't lightening their work load. In addition to the usual essays and readings, the teachers were beginning revision for the end-of-term exams, which resulted in bored Marauders. And bored Marauders were dangerous to be around for too long.

About four days after Sirius's birthday, Harry found himself in the library on a Saturday afternoon. He'd spent most of the morning with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter in the Gryffindor common room, but after lunch they started a mini prank war amongst themselves. That made Lily mad, since she was trying to study, and an angry Lily made everyone nervous. Harry was also trying to study, and since he wanted to get all his assignments out of the way that were due either Monday or Tuesday, he finally left for some peace and quiet. Tonks had stayed behind to act as a buffer between Lily and the Marauders, aided by her roommates.

Harry had been in the library for a little over an hour, finding himself unwillingly engrossed in _Creatures of the Damned_ for his Defense essay. It featured graphic illustrations and descriptions of all the horrible creatures that preyed on humans, from werewolves and vampires to dementors and lethifolds, and even some scarier ones that Harry had never heard of before opening said book. Then someone cleared their throat behind him and Harry jumped violently, his wand out and ready in a heartbeat, a spell already on his lips.

"Jumpy, are we? You wouldn't be doing something illegal, would you?" a voice drawled.

"Dammit, Regulus, don't _do_ that to me!" Harry exclaimed, trying to slow his racing heart. He sank heavily back into his chair, breathing hard. Regulus just smirked and took the chair across from him.

"Why were you so tense in the first place?" Harry wordlessly lifted the book he'd been reading off the table and held it up so Regulus could see the title. He snorted. "So, what? You thought I was a vampire? What are you reading that for anyway? That's some nasty stuff."

"It's assigned reading for my DADA essay," Harry answered. "About creatures that prey on humans. Not the flesh, mind you, but the mind and the soul." Harry shuddered involuntarily.

"Sounds fascinating," Regulus said blandly.

"So what are _you_ doing in the library on such a pleasant Saturday afternoon?" Harry retorted. As if to punctuate his words, a crack of thunder sounded outside. Like nearly every other day in November, it was stormy and cold. Regulus muttered something that Harry didn't catch and opened one of the books he'd dumped on the table upon arrival. Upside-down. "Sorry, Reg. I didn't catch that," Harry said, hiding his amusement.

Regulus scowled at the nickname. "My housemates are still furious about losing to Gryffindor, and I'm a perfect target for their ire," he admitted, his expression slightly less fierce.

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "This might not mean much, coming from a _Gryffindor_ , as you put it," he began, "but I think you made a spectacular catch. One of the best I've seen, and I've seen professionals play."

"I lost," Regulus said flatly.

"Your _team_ lost," Harry corrected. " _You_ were the one to catch the snitch, which is a win in my book, and you ended the game on your own terms, instead of letting Gryffindor completely destroy you."

Regulus scoffed. "Hardly. If it wasn't for my _bastard_ of a brother and his _bloody_ bludger, we would have won."

"Language," Harry scolded with amusement. "And as far as I know, Sirius isn't a bastard, or your mum wouldn't have made him the heir."

Regulus narrowed his eyes at Harry. "You're a prat."

"So I've heard," Harry said easily. "My point is, it doesn't matter what they say about you. What matters is whether or not _you_ did your best. If you're beating yourself up because you didn't give it your all, then by all means keep sulking. But it sure looked to me like you were doing your best."

Regulus frowned and rubbed his arm, the one that Sirius had broken with his bludger. "It's still his fault we lost," he muttered.

"I've been meaning to get him back for being so heartless as to hurt his baby brother anyway. I'll prank him on your behalf, and you won't even owe me for it," Harry said cheerfully, ignoring Regulus's obvious irritation at being called Sirius's "baby" brother.

"That's not a very Slytherin thing to say," he pointed out.

Harry grinned and pointed at his red and gold tie. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a Slytherin. Though, the hat _did_ want to put me there."

"You? In Slytherin?" Regulus scoffed. "You wouldn't last a _day_ in the dungeons."

"I could, too," Harry protested. "I know how to be sneaky and self-serving when I need to be."

"Oy!" Regulus looked affronted. "We're not all self-serving gits."

"I didn't mean you," Harry answered. "But I still say I could be Slytherin if I wanted to."

"Yeah? I bet you couldn't spend ten minutes at the Slytherin table without committing a social faux pas."

"I'll take that bet. I don't have money, but I'll bet a favor or two."

Regulus stared at him for a moment, then he smirked. "Deal. Two favors, no questions asked, to the winner."

"And I'll still prank your brother on your behalf. It doesn't count as one of your favors. And, just so we're clear, sitting at the Slytherin table in and of itself doesn't count as faux pas."

"Fine. You really are thorough, aren't you? And you'd better get my brother good. I expect to see you at the Slytherin table one day soon. Before your 'Gryffindor' courage gives out," Regulus answered with a smirk.

Harry grinned back, then they both returned to their respective assignments. After a short while, Regulus hesitantly asked for help with a transfiguration concept. Harry gladly obliged, walking him through Gamp's Law and even connecting it with the muggle concept of the conservation of mass. It was dinnertime before they knew it. Harry and Regulus walked out of the library together, then said their farewells.

Harry headed down to the Great Hall, figuring the others would be there, or at least be on their way. He was just passing through the third floor when a spell came out of nowhere. He yelped in surprise as antlers sprouted from his head, along with an inordinate amount of fuzz. Narrowing his eyes and hiding a smirk, Harry drew his wand.

"Guys, we already have one idiot with antlers. Do we really need two?" he said to the seemingly empty corridor. He heard a protest that was quickly cut off with a muffled thud and a grunt, but it told Harry what he needed to know. Not bothering to hide the smirk now, Harry cast his becoming-infamous feather-sprouting spell, and a spell to add a fluffy rabbit tale as well, into the shadowed alcove behind him and to his left. From the two nearly identical yelps, he knew he'd hit his target. Then he hurried away, knowing they'd strike again. He only knew for sure that Sirius and James were present, but he wouldn't put it past them to set up an ambush all along the corridor, either by involving Remus and Peter or with pre-set spells. Or both.

Nothing else happened on the second floor, or the first half of the grand staircase. Then said staircase turned into a slide and Harry slid down with a yelp of surprise before being greeted at the bottom in the Entrance Hall by a familiar grinning face and a color-changing spell.

"Traitor!" Harry exclaimed, incredulous and indignant. He now sprouted green antlers with light purple polka dots, and his robes were orange spotted with turquoise. His "twin" snickered.

"It's been too long since we had a proper duel. And since your mates wanted to prank you, I decided to volunteer," Tonks replied with a grin. "But since I don't want you getting into trouble—"

"Since when did you care if I ended up in detention?" Harry interrupted, getting to his feet with some difficulty because she'd put some kind of spell on his shoes.

"—I'll issue a formal challenge," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, but she winked at him. "Harrison Carter, I challenge you to a prank duel after dinner. You are not allowed a second."

Harry narrowed his eyes playfully. "I accept. And _you_ aren't allowed a second, either."

"Can I bring witnesses? A cheering squad? A referee?" Tonks asked, pouting playfully. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I wanna watch!" James piped up, sliding neatly beside Harry and getting easily to his feet. Sirius was just behind him, followed by Remus and Peter—who were in turn followed by Marlene, Mary, Alice and Lily. When Lily reached the bottom, she got to her feet with a scowl and brushed herself off. She opened her mouth to tell off the Marauders, but Sirius spoke first.

"Yeah. I want to watch Harrison get trounced by Joselyn, too," Sirius said, giving Tonks a flirtatious look that she waved off with her hand—that happened to have her wand in it, and that happened to cast a spell on Sirius's hair that turned it electric blue and made it stick out like he'd just stuck his finger in an electrical socket. Everyone else snickered as he frowned.

"Who said Joselyn would win? I've been practicing, you know," Harry retorted.

"Can we just go to dinner and continue this in the Great Hall? I'm starving," Peter interrupted.

"I agree," Lily cut in with faint irritation. "Besides, you're blocking the corridor, and sooner or later someone is going to come tumbling down that staircase and bowl you all over like ninepins."

James's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea, Evans! Thanks!"

"For future reference, Lily, you don't _ever_ want to give pranksters ideas. Especially ones like them," Mary said with faint amusement.

"Get moving," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "I'm hungry, too." He gave James a push toward the doors into the Great Hall. Peter and Harry did the same with Sirius. They may have accidentally pushed a little too hard, so he went sprawling. Scowling, but with mirth glinting in his eyes, Sirius got to his feet and brushed himself off.

"Nice hair, Black," someone said as they pushed past the crowd. Harry smiled to himself when he saw Regulus, flanked by Severus and two Ravenclaws that Harry didn't recognize. Sirius scowled for real this time and didn't reply. Finally, though, they all ended up in the Great Hall and took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table.

Dinner passed with easy banter among all the sixth year Gryffindors, though Lily huffed frequently and refused to participate despite her roommates' urging. As they finished up, the topic of Tonks's challenge to Harry came back up.

"Shall we meet you-know-where?" Tonks asked, smirking at Harry.

"I wanna come watch!" James whined again.

"Where's you-know-where?" Peter asked.

"Naturally," Harry replied to his sister. "Nowhere else has quite the right atmosphere."

"Where's you-know-where?" Peter asked again, a whine coming into his voice.

"I wanna watch too!" Sirius cut in. Harry barely held back a sigh.

"What do you think, Jos? Can we trust them?"

"Hmm…" Tonks mused. "I don't know, Harry. They could get up to all sorts of mischief, not to mention interfere with our duel. You know I'd hate for you to win by default because you got in a lucky shot while I was distracted by your annoying friends."

"We're not _all_ annoying," Remus protested.

"What about us, Joselyn? We want to watch your duel, too," Alice broke in.

"If Lily comes to keep everyone in line…" Harry began, smirking a little at the other girl's look of mock outrage.

"Then I suppose we can concede," Tonks finished. "But, they'll all be blindfolded until we get there. I'd hate for our secret to get out."

Harry smirked over the others' protests. "Agreed. No need to hand them everything they need to turn this castle into chaos."

"What? What is this place?"

"Where is you-know-where?" Peter asked for the third time, playfully pleading.

"That's for us to know," Tonks began.

"And for you to never find out," Harry finished, grinning. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah!" Sirius and James cheered, and even Marlene joined in. All ten of them got to their feet and headed out into the Entrance Hall. After they climbed to the fifth floor, Harry and Tonks cast a blindfold spell on the others and had them follow.

Amidst protests, the group finally arrived at the seventh floor corridor across from the tapestry of Barnaby and the dancing trolls. Sharing a smirk with his sister, Harry paced in front of the empty wall three times, concentrating on an open space they could have a duel. The huge double doors appeared a moment later with a grating noise, and Harry and Tonks escorted their friends inside before removing the blindfold spell.

"Whoa. Where are we?" James turned in a slow circle, taking in the familiar field Tonks and Harry had always dueled in back in their own time.

"Is this still inside the castle? Because it looks like we're outside," Mary said in awe.

"How can a room like this even exist?" Lily said dubiously.

"It's a _magic_ castle, Evans," Sirius replied in a "duh" voice. She scowled at him and Harry whacked his shoulder.

"Be nice, Sirius, or we'll kick you out," he said pointedly. "Now…do we want to hit them with our stray spells?"

"Hmm…it'd be funny. But it might incite rebellion," Tonks answered, grinning.

"A barrier it is, then." Harry waved his hand for show and the Room created a transparent wall between Harry and Tonks and the rest of the group, circling the pitch like the glass in a muggle ice rink. The spectators exclaimed in surprise, thinking Harry had conjured the wall.

"Relax. He's not that cool," Tonks said with a smirk. Harry scowled playfully. "Lily, you're more or less impartial. Want to play referee? Don't worry—none of our spells will hit you."

"Sure. What are the rules?"

"Only trick spells and shield spells. Nothing that can cause physical harm. No cheap shots—"

"Just because you know I'll win if I'm allowed to cheat," Harry interrupted. Tonks ignored him.

"And the duel is over when either one of us is no longer able to cast spells or thirty minutes pass. If the time limit passes, the person who got hit the most is the loser. Fair?" Tonks asked, finally addressing Harry.

"Fair enough. Lily, count it off?" Harry asked as he and Tonks paced off until they were about fifteen meters apart and facing each other.

"On 'one.' Three. Two. One. Begin!" Lily exclaimed, and chaos ensued.

Everyone but Tonks and Harry were safely behind the transparent wall, but they all flinched back when dodged or stray spells hit the wall. Colored spells flew everywhere, Tonks and Harry ducking and dodging as much as they shielded, moving all across the field. Harry relied more on his better agility than his shielding, since casting shields meant he couldn't be offensive. He already sported Hufflepuff-colored hair and rabbit ears, though Tonks was feathered and gold. After a few rounds, Harry started using the Room to his advantage, using it to raise shields and barricades and occasionally trip up his opponent. Tonks was growing increasingly determined, a fierce look on her face despite her grin. Harry just grinned back, confident in his superior knowledge of prank spells thanks to the books he'd read and tips he'd received over the last few months from the Marauders.

Everyone was watching in awe, though they were all glad to be behind a wall as color-changing, tripping, humiliating, and transfiguration spells flew at a rate they could barely comprehend. It was clear the two were nearly evenly matched. What Harry lacked in experience he made up for in creativity—especially as he cast a tickling hex on the tail of a jelly legs jinx and followed up with a tripping spell and a spell that left Tonks looking like she'd been splattered with multicolored paint when she didn't dodge fast enough. However, Tonks had a slightly larger repertoire of spells and had been officially trained to duel, even if she wasn't casting harmful spells.

Soon Harry started casting spells more on the environment than at Tonks herself, causing her to become soaked when she slipped in a puddle of water created by the Aguamenti charm, the water enchanted to turn her green and silver. However, Tonks started to catch on to his technique and began to retaliate in kind, making him slip on a thin sheet of ice and following up with a string of transfiguration spells that gave him fur and antlers and turned him a hideous shade of lurid purple. Harry retaliated with an overpowered warming charm that singed his sister's hair _and_ turned it orange.

Then he used one of his own inventions and cast a spell that shot a blizzard of sticky confetti in Tonks's direction, then dived behind a rock the Room provided when she retaliated. The rock turned into a neon beacon and sprouted coarse hairs. From behind the rock, Harry cast a string of spells to unbalance his opponent and make her trip, casting just to one side or the other and making her dodge back and forth. Tonks did well for a while, but her natural clumsiness finally kicked in and she stumbled, recovered, then stumbled again.

In the midst of it all, Harry repeated her ice trick and made sure it worked with a tripping jinx, then cast a disarming charm as well as one to stick her hands together from fingertip to wrist, as though she'd stuck her hands in glue. Then he cast a final jelly-legs jinx and another tickling hex, and Tonks was incapacitated—helplessly laughing on the ground, sticky, wet, and a myriad of colors and covered with scraps of multicolored confetti, her legs unable to support her as she tried to get to her feet, and her hands stuck together so she couldn't even cast windlessly, let alone retrieve her wand.

"That. Was. _Brilliant!_ " James exclaimed as the barrier came down, and everyone else made noises of agreement at varying volumes.

"I hereby declare Harry the winner," Lily declared with a slightly apologetic look at her roommate, helpless on the ground.

"Have I surpassed you yet, dear sister?" Harry asked with a grin as he approached her. She managed to glare, but he could see mirth and pride in her eyes. Still smiling, Harry canceled the jinxes that kept her on the ground and incapacitated, then extended a hand down to her. Reading the mischief in her eyes, he braced his feet in preparation for Tonks's attempt to yank him down. She tried, but Harry was stronger, and he yanked her up. "Are we even?" he asked, holding his hand out again.

Tonks smiled. "We're even. But you know I'm going to want a rematch."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry replied, then he turned and let himself be swamped by his friends offering congratulations and demanding tips and advice. Tonks wasn't left out, though, as she'd been just as impressive. Harry was about a dozen different colors, looking like he'd been dumped in several vats of different colored paint, fur sprouted from his arms and neck, and he, once again, had antlers, topped with bells and bows of all things. He didn't miss the camera flashes, and he glared at Peter, who just smiled back unrepentantly, not even trying to hide the camera in his hands.

"These are definitely going in my photo album," Sirius said with a grin.

"Just wait. Before long, it'll be your turn. And if you ever make a move on her, you have this to look forward to," Harry replied, gesturing to himself and giving Sirius a mischievous and dangerous look that only made his smile grow wider.


	18. Slytherin Ties

Wow, I think this is the longest chapter I've posted so far. Hopefully it makes up for all my slow updates the last few months. Please give me feedback on Harry's and Regulus's developing relationship! I want to make sure it's realistic. Any other pointers are welcome, too. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 19: Slytherin Ties**

Harry joined the Marauders on the way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They all seemed unusually anxious, especially James and Sirius. Remembering how long he'd left them alone on Saturday and again on Sunday, Harry couldn't help the sinking feeling that they had set up a prank that he would not approve of.

"All right, I give. What have you done?" Harry asked, not sure he wanted to know.

"Just watch the snakes this morning and prepare to be entertained," Sirius supplied, grinning widely. Harry was suddenly glad that, in their excitement, the Marauders were early to breakfast.

"They spiked the Slytherins' drinks, and probably their food as well, though I don't know with what. I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen," Remus murmured in Harry's ear as he sat down beside him, looking a little shamefaced.

"Then you're excused from whatever retribution I plan, then," Harry replied, frowning. He'd wanted a bigger crowd when he crossed the invisible line, but maybe it would be better to go now. He glanced across the Hall and confirmed that both Regulus and Severus were already present, then Harry nodded to himself and got back to his feet.

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"Yeah, we just got here," Sirius whined.

"You don't have to go anywhere," Remus muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I'm taking a bet," Harry answered with a smirk.

"Be careful," Peter said with a teasing grin. He had no idea how appropriate his comment was.

Harry smiled back. "Thanks, Pete. Catch you guys later," he said with a wave. Then he started across the Great Hall. Nobody paid him any attention until he walked by the Hufflepuff table, the half the hall was staring when he passed the Ravenclaw table as well. But when he plopped down beside Regulus and across from Severus—two of the most well-known Slytherins— _everyone_ was gaping and the whispers began. Harry glanced back across the hall to the Gryffndor table and smirked when he saw his friends' expressions. James was shocked and Sirius's jaw was virtually on the table. Peter looked both terrified and impressed, and even Remus was staring in disbelief.

"Good morning, Mr. Black, Mr. Snape," Harry said formally, trying to hide his smile at their surprise.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it," Regulus said in faint disbelief. Severus was staring in disbelief, though less obviously as the rest of the Hall. The other Slytherin students looked torn between horror, offense, and admiration for Harry's stunt. "You're probably the first person to cross that invisible line in decades," Regulus added.

"I'm offended that you doubted me," Harry said mildly, his eyes glinting with mirth. "I never let a chance to prove someone wrong pass me up. I wouldn't eat that if I were you," he added casually to Severus as he raised a forkful of eggs to his mouth.

"And why not?" Severus asked suspiciously, eyeing the eggs from the same platter that Harry had dished onto his own plate.

"My friends spiked it, though I had no part in it. That goes for the drinks, too, Regulus," Harry added as the younger boy raised a goblet to his lips. Regulus eyed the liquid in his cup critically for a moment, then sighed and put it down regretfully. Harry noted with amusement and some pride that some of the other students within hearing were also looking dubiously as their plates and the platters lining the table—mostly it was the younger years, but Harry saw one of the seventh years deliberately push his plate away from himself before getting up and leaving, presumably to go to the kitchens.

"If it's spiked, then why are _you_ eating it?" Regulus asked after a moment of watching Harry happily eating his eggs and kippers on toast.

"To make a point," Harry replied simply—only his voice came out much higher than normal, cracking like it used to do when he was thirteen. Both Regulus _and_ Severus burst into startled laughter as Harry sighed in resignation. He rubbed a hand over his chin, grimacing as he felt the beginnings of acne that hadn't been there thirty minutes ago. "Oh, I am _so_ going to kill them," he muttered.

"You did it to yourself, you know," Severus pointed out, nearly failing to suppress a grin.

"Be glad they didn't add a shrinking solution as well," Regulus added, snickering.

"I wouldn't put it past them. Only the fact that Remus wasn't involved in this prank reassures me that there _isn't_ ," Harry muttered. His voice cracked again, even at the low volume, and Harry bit back a groan. "You wouldn't happen to know a cure for this, would you, Severus?" he asked hopefully.

"Wash your face every night and the acne will go away. For the voice, you'll just have to wait a year or so," he drawled, smirking. Harry did groan this time.

"Let's go to the kitchens. I'm starving," Regulus said after a moment. Severus nodded and the two got to their feet. "By the way, Harry," Regulus added, grimacing, "I owe you two."

Harry grinned triumphantly. "I'll use them wisely," he said. His voice cracked again and he was left alone at the Slytherin table with his friends' laughter echoing in his ears. Resigning himself to a day of miserable, repeated puberty, Harry finished off his kippers and pumpkin juice, figuring the worst was already upon him.

He should have known better.

By the time breakfast was over, his voice successfully reached into the upper registers. He sounded like a first year. And it still cracked embarrassingly at least every other sentence. The acne hadn't spread, thankfully, but it was starting to hurt and it looked horrific. He glared at the culprits as he rejoined them on the way to class.

"Why'd you prank yourself?" Peter asked as they walked. "You knew it had been tampered with."

"To prove a point," Harry replied, glaring at Sirius and James. Both of them tried and failed to look guilty. Though to Sirius's dismay (and Harry's secret pride), only a handful of Slytherin students were affected by the prank. Only those who had come early, those who were too stubborn to listen to the warnings spread from first Regulus and Severus and then all the younger students who had witnessed the effect of the prank on Harry, or those who just didn't care were similarly affected.

"What exactly were you doing at the Slytherin table in the first place?" James asked.

"I told you, taking a bet," Harry repeated as they took their seats in the Charms classroom.

"From who?" Sirius asked as he sat beside Harry.

"Regulus," Harry replied with a smirk, then he turned his attention to Professor Flitwick who had begun his lecture and refused to say anything more. Sirius just stared at Harry for a moment, obviously torn between horror and disbelief.

As the day wore on, the effects of the prank grew more pronounced. It was like they'd spiked the food with some potion that made everyone who ingested it _literally_ relive puberty, except worse because it was enhanced by magic. By the end of Charms, Harry's face had more or less broken out into chronic acne and it hurt just to raise his eyebrows. His lower back was inexplicably sore as well, and it was rather horrifying when he realized James and Sirius had somehow tweaked whatever potion they used to mimic puberty for both boys _and_ girls. At the same time. After lunch Harry grew uncharacteristically moody and was prone to snap at people for the smallest things. By dinnertime, the acne had turned into painful, itchy hives that began to spread.

Now, all that Harry could deal with. He'd faced worse before (though admittedly not at the same time). What made it worse was the constant teasing and mocking. Not from others, no—he'd learned a long time ago to ignore what the general populace had to say about him, though they certainly had plenty to say. No, the continuous mocking came from the Marauders. Less so Remus, and Peter more often piggy-backed on the others' jokes than made his own, but James and Sirius were merciless. At first it was no more than Harry expected, and he laughed along with them, but as the day drew on and the symptoms became more pronounced, they were vicious.

By dinnertime, Harry was just about ready to snap. If he heard one more off-color joke from Sirius, or if James poked his face one more time…he gritted his teeth and focused on cutting his chicken.

"Hey, Harrison," Sirius began, "have you done 'it' yet? Oh wait, looking like that, any bird would be afraid of catching your—"

"That's _it_!" Harry exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the table. Sirius stopped short, staring at him in surprise. "I'm perfectly aware that I did this to myself, but you bloody well don't have to make it worse by _mocking_ me about it! Yes, I look like a bloody mess. Yes, it's my own fault. Yes, I can take a prank. But this is _not_ a prank! Is anyone even laughing at your jokes, Sirius? Does _anyone_ besides you and James think this is funny? Because I sure as hell doubt it," Harry growled.

"Um…sorry?" James offered, but it was clear he'd been on the verge of laughing at Sirius's comment before Harry's outburst. Remus looked outright disapproving, and Peter looked incredibly uncomfortable. Students up and down the table were looking away awkwardly as well, though the sixth year girls, including Lily and Tonks, were either giving Harry pitying looks or glaring daggers at James and Sirius.

"Are you, James? Are you really? How would you like it if you were in my position? Would you be laughing along while your best friend made suggestive jokes and inappropriate comments about _you_?" At his uncomfortable look, Harry scoffed loudly. "I thought so. You and Sirius deliberately went behind my back for this, because you _knew_ what I'd have to say about it. Because this sure as hell isn't funny and it sure as hell is _not_ a prank." Harry fixed both James and Sirius with a piercing glare that made both of them shrink back a little. "This is called _bullying_ , in case you didn't know. And if this is how you treat a supposed _friend_ , I can only imagine how _cruel_ you would have been if Severus were caught by this prank, or Merlin forbid your own _brother_ , Sirius!"

"We're sor—" Sirius began, finally looking shamefaced, but Harry cut him off.

"Sure, you'll apologize to me. But are you apologizing to the other people who were affected? Of course not, because they're nothing to you, aren't they? They're just targets to you, aren't they? Nameless victims. Or Merlin forbid, _deserving_ just because of the color of their robes! People aren't here for your entertainment!" Harry couldn't remember standing, but he was on his feet. He was also on the verge of shouting. Every eye in the Great Hall was on him for the second time that day, and he couldn't care less. "How would you like it if someone targeted _you_ just because you're wearing red and gold? Or because you have black hair? Or because you _are_ a Black?" Harry directed that comment at Sirius, who shrank away and flushed red.

"Harry—"

"How would you feel if you were always singled out and picked on, beaten up and beaten down _every day_ , with no one willing to stand up for you?" Harry continued harshly. "How would _you_ like to be the victim?"

"Harry—"

"It's _horrible_ , is what it is!" he exclaimed. "You feel hopeless, alone, worthless, _freakish_." Harry growled the last word. Lily, who had been watching with surprise but some smugness, flinched at that word and looked away.

" _Harry_!" Tonks's voice finally cut through the fog of anger when she put her hand on Harry's shoulder—squeezing uncomfortably hard. "I think they get it, kid," she added more quietly when she saw that she had Harry's attention. And Harry finally calmed down enough to really _look_ at his friends. Remus and Peter looked utterly ashamed, even though neither of them had had a part in the prank. James's eyes were down and his shoulders were slumped—taking the verbal lashing from Harry without protest. Sirius was staring at him in shock, though he was hunched in on himself in a slightly defensive position. And Harry realized that his fingertips were sparking dangerously. It was a miracle his morph was still intact.

Harry made himself take a deep breath, then exhaled harshly. "I have two last things to say. First, this had _better_ have worn off by tomorrow morning, or so help me you'll dearly regret it if you don't already. Second, _stop_ and _think_ about how you would feel if the prank you're planning was pulled on _you_ , and stop being _cruel_ about it, as if the prank itself wasn't enough already," he finished dangerously. Then he abandoned his half-eaten dinner and stomped out of the Hall, his surrogate sister at his heels.

When they reached the common room, Harry made for the dorm, but Tonks grabbed his wrist in a vicelike grip, staring him down with an expression he recognized—and was wary of. "You _will_ apologize to them, if not for your words than for your tone and for losing your temper. Understand?" she said firmly, and Harry suddenly felt the seven years' difference in their ages. And the disappointment in her eyes made the rest of Harry's anger fizzle out as if it had never existed. He slumped onto the nearest chair and surrendered his wand into her outstretched, waiting hand. After a moment of tense silence, Tonks sat down beside Harry and loosened her grip on his wrist.

"You'll get it back in the morning before breakfast. I know you can't cast any prank spells windlessly, so you can abandon any ideas of revenge. Hopefully by tomorrow you'll be calm enough _not_ to retaliate," she said, her voice still firm but with more understanding.

"Okay," Harry said in a small voice. There was another moment of silence, then Tonks put her arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked calmly.

"I lost my temper," Harry replied, feeling defensive.

"Clearly," Tonks drawled, withdrawing her arm to cross both of them over her chest. "What I want to know is _why_. It's not like you to get upset over a mostly harmless prank."

"'Mostly' being the key word," Harry grumbled. "It doesn't just _look_ painful; it _is_ painful. Plus, it's the principle of the thing!"

"Obviously they put the whole package into that potion—you're as moody as you were at Headquarters before your fifth year," Tonks said with dry amusement. Harry didn't reply, and Tonks didn't continue, so there was silence for a while. Then Harry rubbed a hand over his face with a sigh. To his relief, the raised sores had mostly gone down and it was less painful than it had been even an hour ago.

"Have you calmed down enough to be reasonable now?" Tonks said pointedly but without any bite in her voice.

"Yeah. I can feel it wearing off," Harry said wearily.

Tonks put her hand back on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Now, aside from the potion that heightened your emotions, what really got you so angry?"

"Like I said, it's the principle of the thing. I was willing to go along with it, but when it kept getting worse and they kept mocking me for it, calling attention to it, I guess…I just snapped. It reminded me of what my cousin used to do to me in primary school." Harry sighed. "And I _hate_ the idea that my dad and my godfather were just like him. I don't know if you know, but last year, the reason Snape called off my Occlumency lessons was because I peeked in his pensieve without permission. I saw…I saw James and Sirius utterly _humiliate_ Severus, with _no_ provocation, and it was clearly only the last in a long string of incidents." Harry sighed again and Tonks squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"I…I tried to convince myself that it was a one-time thing, the result of stress or something, I don't know. But to deliberately go behind my back for the prank today, just for the sake of targeting the Slytherins…I wouldn't be surprised if they made what I got even nastier than everyone else's, just because it was meant for Severus." Harry looked up at his sister. "I didn't want to believe that they were as bad as everyone said, but…now I know that…they were worse." Harry's voice cracked, and it wasn't because of the potion.

"While I disagree with your method, I think they really needed to hear what you had to say earlier," Tonks said gently. "It's true—I've heard so many stories from Lily, and others, of the humiliating and terrible 'pranks' they've pulled, and how lightly they got off. But you have to remember, kid, they're not going to change their behavior overnight. They're still teenagers. They still have time to grow up. They don't know what's out there, they haven't had to face the harsh reality that you have. Just keep being their friend, keep tugging them in the right direction, and eventually they'll recognize that they were wrong."

Harry sniffled quietly and nodded against Tonks's shoulder. "Thanks," he said softly. Tonks smiled.

"Your emotions really are out of whack, aren't they?" she said affectionately. "Why don't you go to bed? I'll have a few words with them before they go up." Harry nodded against his sister's shoulder again and tried to discreetly dry his eyes before lifting his head. Tonks smiled gently and pressed a kiss into his messy hair. "Sleep well, little bro. Dream sweet dreams of revenge."

Harry couldn't help an answering grin, even if it was a little shaky. "Good night. I guess you'll have to be mother _and_ sister, after lecturing me and confiscating my wand, then telling me to dream of revenge."

Tonks scowled playfully and ruffled his hair before giving him a slight push toward the staircase. "Cheeky brat. Go to bed."

Harry grinned and raised a hand in farewell, then headed up the stairs to his dormitory.

The following day Sirius and James humbly submitted to Harry's retaliation and made both of them walk around in Slytherin green and silver, the phrase "I Slytherins!" written across the back of their robes. In addition, in hopes of making his point stick even more, Harry found a spell to make a pattern of spots appear across both their faces that spelled out the word "bully." Both James and Sirius were very apologetic, and swore repeatedly that they would never do it again. That remained to be seen, but by the end of the day Harry was fairly confident his point had been made. He officially apologized for yelling at them the previous night at dinner, removed the spells (which he'd cast in such a way that only he could remove them), and helped them plan another prank.

This one, on the teachers, involved nothing worse than a potion that would make all of them sing opera whenever they tried to speak from breakfast until lunch and a clever runic array on the teachers' table that would turn their robes a random color for the duration of the day when they touched said table. Tonks expressed her approval, both for his manner of revenge and his mature way of apologizing. Harry teased her again about the mixed messages she was sending, for which she retaliated by hexing his robes checked and garishly orange. Harry just grinned, not minding in the slightest.

On Wednesday of that week, everything was back to normal. Harry stopped by the Slytherin table and sat with Regulus and Severus for a few minutes before returning to his friends, planning to slowly break the status quo and encourage mingling among houses. And dispel the gossip that still surrounded him for the events of the last 48 hours. Everyone now knew his stance on bullying (and that he didn't care who the perpetrator was), and the Slytherins were quickly warming up to his presence—at least, everyone from fifth year and below. Mulciber, Nott, and Avery, Lucius Malfoy and all the other future Death Eaters merely tolerated his presence, though they were not in the least bit careful about the comments they made—especially the ones regarding blood purity. Harry was careful not to be too bold or overbearing, but he _did_ tell them off for using the "m" word. Multiple times. In the ten minutes he was sitting there. Then Mulciber made a comment that suggested if Harry opened his mouth with his "blood-traitor nonsense" he may not live until lunchtime. So Harry gracefully took his leave and returned to the Gryffindor table.

He took his seat just as the post arrived. Owls swooped into the Hall and to the recipients of mail with the sound of rushing wings. Harry had to duck as a very proper-looking owl swooped over his head and landed in front of Sirius. Harry and the other Marauders all stared at the owl, who impatiently ruffled his feathers, in shock. In the three months (had it really only been that long?) since Harry had been at Hogwarts with them, he'd only seen Sirius receive mail twice, and once had been an owl-order of prank supplies when he'd found himself out of dungbombs three weeks before the next Hogsmeade weekend. The other had been at the very beginning of the term with a letter and a package from Mrs. Potter containing a number of things he'd left behind over the summer.

"Isn't that…"

"Your mum's owl?" Peter finished what James had left hanging. Sirius had gone slightly pale, but he nodded.

Almost automatically Harry glanced across the Great Hall to the Slytherins he'd just left, just in time to see another owl land in front of Regulus. The boy's brow furrowed in confusion as he read the return address. It seemed both Black brothers had received a letter from home.

"What could she possibly want with you _now_? I thought you were shot of her when you left over the summer." James eyed the letter with faint suspicion as Sirius detached it—the owl was starting to peck at his hands and arms. As soon as it was free of its burden, the owl fluffed its feathers as though offended and displeased to have been forced to interact with such rabble, then took off through the rafters and vanished.

"I thought I was," Sirius muttered. No one commented on the fact that his hands were shaking slightly as he opened the letter.

"At least it's not a howler," Remus offered, bumping Sirius's shoulder with his own. A faint smile flickered across Sirius's face. That vanished quickly, though, as he scanned through the contents. His jaw stiffened and his eyes narrowed as he read. "Bitch," he muttered. Then suddenly he went completely white. He crumpled the letter and threw it down, then left the Hall without a word. The others exchanged concerned looks.

"Should we go after him?" Peter asked worriedly.

There was a rustling noise and Harry looked up to see Remus smoothing out the parchment. His brow furrowed as he read, his eyes narrowing dangerously, then he looked up. "Let him have a bit of space. We can talk to him after classes are over," he said, calmly though there was a worried tone to his voice.

"Can I see that?" Harry asked, for once feeling slightly out of the loop. He _knew_ Sirius had a bad relationship with his mother, if the shouting matches with her portrait at Grimmauld Place was any indicator, but he hadn't witnessed the results like the other boys had. From their reactions, it had to be pretty bad. Harry took the note from Remus and skimmed over it while James and Peter read over his shoulder. His anger grew with each line. Basically it was a lot of bull about upholding the family honor and representing the noble House of Black, but with a plethora of harsh, veiled (and not-so-veiled) insults thrown into the mix. There was not a single mention of Sirius's birthday the past week. It ended with a _demand_ for Sirius to return home for the Christmas holidays.

"That _bitch_ ," James growled. His wand tip sparked red, nearly setting fire to the tablecloth. Peter's hands were shaking, though his face was calm. Harry had to use his Occlumency to avoid reacting like James—or worse, storming over to Grimmauld Place and hexing Walburga Black to within an inch of her life. The things said in that letter—it was _far_ worse than anything the Dursleys had ever said to him (which included being called "freak" for the first six years of his life, before he learned, upon starting primary school, that his name was actually Harry).

"There's nothing we can do about it now," Remus said after a moment. His eyes were still ominously yellow—a reminder that the next full moon was in less than a week—but his voice was calm, his expression composed. "We'd better go if we don't want to be late for class."

The others murmured agreement and got to their feet. They walked mostly in silence, worrying about Sirius and plotting ways to get back at his mother for being so cruel to her son. They took their usual seats in the Transfiguration classroom, arriving with several minutes to spare. Sirius wasn't in class when they arrived. All four of them cast periodic, worried looks at the door every few seconds. Finally, just seconds before class was to begin, Sirius walked in. He was still a little pale, though he looked more angry now than anything else. However, when McGonagall told him off for arriving almost late, he offered her a cheeky grin.

"Sorry, Professor. It'll probably happen again," Sirius said smoothly, taking his seat beside James. McGonagall narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't take any points off—her expression was warning enough.

There was no chance for conversation, as McGonagall introduced the proper theory behind human transfiguration. Though the Marauders—Harry included—had the application virtually mastered, due to various pranks and other endeavors (namely, the animagus transformation) the theory was bound to be on their end-of-term exams and they were forced to pay attention and take notes. Even exchanging notes was out of the question, mostly due to the nature of the conversation they all wanted to have with Sirius.

Their next class—Charms—was the same. Professor Flitwick was piggy-backing on McGonagall's lesson and introducing glamour charms and their appropriate use and application. It was an interesting lesson, and after some trial and error and an hour staring into a mirror, they all mastered it. Sirius turned himself (and James) into a redhead, reminding Harry very strongly of the Weasley twins, especially with the banter they kept up most of the practice time. Harry caught Tonks's eye partway through the class and they shared a grin—who needs glamour charms when you're a metamorphmagus that can look like anyone (or anything) you want? Lily successfully glamoured her hair to be light brown like Mary's, and scowled when James vocally lamented her "fiery tresses." She hexed him to look like a ten-year-old boy with unnaturally large blue eyes, then teased him.

"You know, like that I can actually call James Potter cute," she quipped. Then she pinched his cheeks and made faces at him like anyone would a small child until he got fed up and cancelled the glamour, scowling. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Harry, along with most of the rest of the class, were laughing hard by the end.

It wasn't until lunchtime that the Marauders actually got a chance to talk to Sirius about the letter he'd received that morning. Since they predicted a difficult conversation and a potential explosion, they ate lunch in the kitchens.

"You okay, Padfoot?" James asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Fine," Sirius grumbled, not even trying to hide his bad mood.

"You know we'll never believe that, right?" Remus asked with a faint smile. "Since you never believe me. We _did_ read the letter after you left."

"You aren't actually going to go back there, are you?" James asked worriedly.

Sirius scoffed. "You read the letter, right? Did it sound like I had a choice?"

"He's right, as much as I hate to say it," Harry answered. "If he doesn't go, she'll probably hunt him down."

James slammed his hand down on the table. "I'm not letting you go back there! Not after what happened over the summer."

Sirius sighed, all his false bravado fading. "Thanks, Prongs. But Harrison's right. She'll kidnap me if she has to, if she's desperate enough to get me back."

"I still don't like it," James grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Just...just how bad is it there?" Harry asked hesitantly. He knew he was missing something. Sure, he'd seen some of Sirius's scars, but he couldn't tell for sure if they were inflicted by his mother, or by Moony on the full moon.

James, Sirius, and Remus exchanged an uncomfortable look, all of them knowing the answer but none of them wanting to say it. Sirius's mouth twisted into a sardonic smile. He shrugged off his robes, then pulled his left arm out of his shirt sleeve, baring his shoulder to Harry.

"Is this telling enough?" he said bitterly. Harry stared in horror at the scar on his shoulder where the words "blood traitor" had been _branded_ into his skin. He also glimpsed a thick scar that wrapped over his shoulder at the base of his neck and over his collarbone that couldn't have been caused by claws.

"Wh—" Harry couldn't even form words. Sirius's mouth twisted again as he pulled his arm back through the sleeve of his uniform shirt.

"Well, the first time was my first year, over Christmas, when I showed no remorse over being sorted into Gryffindor in defiance of tradition. That was a warning. Then my dear mum _reminded_ me right before I ran away over the summer. Now it's permanent." Sirius shrugged like it was no big deal, but his voice was bitter. Harry didn't know what to say after that.

For a long moment all five boys were quiet. The only sound was the occasional scraping of cutlery against the dishes as they finished off their lunch, courtesy of the house elves. Harry found himself watching Sirius, and was surprised to see that the bitterness that Harry had thought was as deep as it went began to fade away, leaving pure, unadulterated _fear_ in his dark eyes. Unwillingly he wondered just what his mum had done to him to make him look that way—and if Regulus had been hurt, too.

The toll of the bell ending lunch broke Harry out of his thoughts. Sirius's mask immediately went back up. James gave him a concerned look and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll find a way to get you out of there. I swear it," James said determinedly. Everyone else nodded their agreement.

"Thanks," Sirius said with a faint smile. Then the group left the kitchens and headed for their next class. If Sirius (and James) were more aggressive than usual during their practice duels in DADA right after lunch, no one mentioned it. If Harry cut his roots with a little extra aggression during Potions, no one cared—except Severus, when Harry nearly ruined the potion by trying to add an ingredient too early.

"What's got you in a bad mood?" Severus muttered as Harry, slightly shamefaced, repackaged the valerian blossoms and offered the roots instead. Harry shrugged noncommittally and took over the stirring rod while Severus added the roots a little at a time. The Slytherin boy glanced over toward the Marauders (with a poorly disguised glare). "Does it have anything to do with Black running away crying from breakfast after getting a letter from his dear mum?" he said nastily. Harry elbowed him roughly—though he waited until all the roots were added and there was no danger of dropping anything.

"He wasn't crying, and that's none of your business," he retorted. "What did Regulus's letter from his 'dear mum' say?"

"None of your business," Severus responded, though with a faint upturn of the lips that implied he was teasing a little.

"Good. Then we're agreed. By the way, could you tell him to meet me in the library after dinner tonight?"

"What for?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Just tell him I want to talk, and that I offered him help with his Ancient Runes project," Harry replied simply.

"Why don't you help me, too?" Severus asked. Harry smiled faintly.

"You never asked, and I don't have class with you, so I didn't even know you were taking it. I saw Regulus struggling with his last weekend, along with his Transfiguration essay. By the way, you're welcome to join our study sessions," Harry offered.

"I don't need help from Gryffindors," Severus retorted, but he didn't seem to mean it. Somehow Harry thought he might show up that coming Sunday, with Regulus.

Harry didn't reply, other than a knowing smirk, and they finished their potion in comfortable silence.

"Ah, Mr. Carter, Mr. Snape. Another exemplary potion, as expected. Well done. Twenty points to each of you," Professor Slughorn said as the lesson ended. Sirius scowled in their general direction, though James just looked sheepish as he tried to get in a few last stirs on his own potion, which had somehow turned neon green though it was supposed to be a dark turquoise. Remus and Peter gave Harry a thumbs up—their potion was just a few shades too light. Lily, of course, had also made a perfect potion, and Marlene, her seat partner, was grinning at their success. Mary, Tonks, and Alice gave their roommates a sheepish smile. Their potion was so dark it was almost black, and issued navy blue steam. Harry had seen Tonks accidentally knock over a vial of salamander blood, spilling half the contents into their cauldron—way more than the three drops the recipe called for. It was just lucky the effects hadn't been more explosive.

When Potions was over, the Marauders split up. Remus and Peter went to History of Magic (though Harry wasn't sure why either of them were taking the NEWT, seeing as Binns was just as dead and just as dull here as he was in Harry's time) Harry and James went to Arithmancy. Sirius had a free period, but they convinced him to sit in on History of Magic (because they were worried about leaving him alone after the news he'd received and his reaction to it). It was almost guaranteed that Sirius would nap through the entire period, but they were just glad there would be someone to keep an eye on him.

Dinner passed as usual, Sirius acting normal and bantering like nothing was wrong, even though all the Marauders could tell he was still angry and upset about his mother's letter. Harry watched the Slytherin table as well. Regulus, to Harry's faint surprise, looked a little off as well. He glanced up at a moment Harry glanced over, and as they made eye contact Regulus gave a slight nod—silently saying he'd meet Harry in the library after dinner. Harry then glanced at Severus, and when he looked up, Harry gave a slight nod in thanks for passing on his message.

When the meal was over, Harry begged off returning to the common room, citing homework and research for it, and went to the library while everyone else returned to the tower. He found Regulus already there at their usual table in the back, various books and parchment spread out in front of him. The boy looked up when Harry approached and offered a slight smile in greeting.

"Severus said you wanted to talk, but that you also offered to help with this," Regulus said by way of introduction, gesturing at the parchment in front of him covered in scribbles and crossed-out sketches and lists.

"I _was_ only planning to talk, but I might actually help after all," Harry said with a grin. "Are the rest of your classes this difficult?"

Regulus shrugged. "Charms and Potions are fine, and I'm doing all right in DADA as well. It's transfiguration and my electives that are hard."

"You're in Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, right?" Harry asked. Regulus nodded, grimacing.

"I almost wish I'd taken Divination, just because the workload is lighter. But it's a total joke and a waste of time, and I'd like to actually _do_ something with my life after Hogwarts."

"At least it's your OWL year. You can drop some of those classes next year if you want."

"Yeah. But I have to get through the OWLs first," he grumbled. "Did you take the OWLs? Even though you were homeschooled?"

Harry nodded "I took them through the Ministry. It was a good thing my godfather was always tough on me when it came to my studies, or I probably would have had to repeat a year," he said with self-depreciating shrug. Frankly, with everything that had happened in his fourth and fifth years, it was a miracle he'd passed _any_ of his OWLs, let alone gotten the grades he had. "As it was, I only got one A. The rest were E's and O's. Well, except for History of Magic. I totally bombed that one," Harry added, grinning.

Regulus looked genuinely surprised. "You? How did _you_ fail one of your OWLs?" he asked incredulously.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Well, to be fair, I took that one right around the time my godfather died. I couldn't focus and ended up not even finishing. Though, I probably would have failed it anyway, from what I remember of the questions. Luckily it was my last exam." Regulus nodded, but looked slightly uncomfortable, like he wanted to ask something but wasn't sure it would be tactful. Harry smiled a little. "Go ahead and ask," he said. "I won't get mad, and I promise I'll answer."

Regulus nodded again, then, a little hesitantly, he asked, "H-how _did_ your godfather die? And why was he the one to tutor you? Wouldn't your parents have done it?"

"My parents were both killed by Death Eaters when I was still a kid, so my godfather raised my sister and me. Then… _he_ was killed, too, at the beginning of the summer. Death Eaters again." Harry's voice cracked unexpectedly, and he cleared his throat. Regulus looked both sympathetic and uncomfortable.

"I…didn't realize. And…I can't believe I never asked you _why_ you transferred in the first place," he finally said in a subdued voice.

Harry shrugged. "I was a Gryffindor, you were a Slytherin, and you didn't trust me at first. Don't worry about it."

For a few minutes Regulus didn't seem to know what to say, but finally he cleared his throat. "So…what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he finally asked. "And why go through Severus?"

"I didn't think it wise to try my luck at the Slytherin table again after what Mulciber said this morning, so I thought it was safer for both of us. Plus we were in Potions together and it was just convenient, since I know you two are friends." Regulus nodded, then waited for Harry to answer his other question. Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out the best way to approach the subject.

"You got a letter from your parents today, right?" he began.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Sirius got one, too, and…it wasn't friendly, belated birthday greetings. I just wanted to know why he reacted so strongly, and if your letter was similar."

"For the first, why can't you just talk to him directly?" Regulus answered irritably, like he always was when the topic of his brother came up.

"He's pretty tight-lipped when it comes to his family. All I really know is that they _really_ don't get on. Plus…Sirius showed me the scar on his shoulder," Harry answered, a little uncomfortably.

"That's an understatement," Regulus muttered. "They absolutely _loathe_ each other. And that scar…it's one of many," he added, his expression now more regretful than annoyed.

"I figured. What did your letter say, then?" Harry asked.

"Basically, she wished me a happy early birthday and quite… _sternly_ told me to come home for the holiday."

"When's your birthday, then?" Harry asked cheekily.

"Friday," Regulus muttered. "December 3. But don't you _dare_ prank me like you did Sirius. I will murder you with my bare hands," he said fiercely.

Harry chuckled a little and raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I swear I won't prank you like I did Sirius."

Regulus's eyes narrowed. "I don't want you to prank me, _period_ ," he clarified. "And that's something a Slytherin would say."

"No," Harry corrected, "that's something a _prankster_ would say. But anyway, I guess that's more or less what Sirius's letter said, minus the birthday greetings. And with some nasty veiled insults," he added darkly.

Regulus snorted without amusement. "That is her thing."

"What would happen if Sirius—if _either_ of you didn't go?" Harry asked cautiously, trying to be casual.

Regulus shrugged. "She'd lecture me quite severely, but ultimately nothing. Sirius, though…she'd probably hunt him down and give him a piece of her mind. I think she's planning something for him over the holiday, some kind of last chance or something. She was _furious_ when he left over the summer." A dark look crossed Regulus's face and, unconsciously it seemed, his hand moved to cover his left shoulder. Knowing what Harry now knew about Sirius's scar, he was immediately concerned. "Of course, he'll probably still be on the wrong end of mum's wand even if he _does_ go home like she wants, but it's not as certain."

"Regulus…" Harry began carefully. His change in tone caught the other boy's attention and he looked up. "How often are _you_ at the wrong end of her wand?"

Regulus's eyes widened, then he turned defensive. "And what in _Salazar's_ name makes you think I ever am?" he demanded—though his hand still rested on his shoulder, almost protectively.

Harry carefully stayed calm. "Clues, hints, little things here and there. Sirius has let slip a few things, and it's not hard to put together the pieces. I'm not going to say anything, but if I can help—"

"You can't," Regulus said flatly. "There's _nothing_ you can do about it. So leave it alone, would you? Give your sympathy to my _traitor_ of a brother instead," he sneered. He stood abruptly and carelessly swept all his papers into his back, then stalked away and didn't look back.

Harry watched him go, his heart aching for the younger boy. He'd all but confirmed Sirius wasn't his mother's only victim, and from his sudden and uncharacteristic defensiveness, it was clear it had hurt him beyond just the physical. And hurt a lot. Hoping he hadn't just ruined their friendship, Harry sighed and gathered up his things. Then he returned to Gryffindor tower.

"You're back earlier than expected," Remus commented when Harry joined them in front of the fire.

"And _you_ look like you haven't gotten anything done since I left," Harry retorted, smirking.

"We have, too! Look!" Sirius exclaimed, waving a piece of parchment in his face. Harry snatched it from his hand, ignoring his indignant cry.

"I can't look if you won't hold it still." Harry glanced at the parchment he held, and almost groaned when he saw its contents. It was plans for a Christmas prank, since there were only two more weeks of classes before the holidays began. It was clear the Marauders were planning to go out with a bang. "Please tell me you had nothing to do with this, Remus!" Harry pleaded.

Remus shrugged, but his expression was unabashed. "I may be a bookworm and a prefect, but I'm still a Marauder."

"Pete?" Harry pleaded. Peter grinned back.

"Most of them are my ideas," he replied, unashamed. Harry groaned theatrically and slumped back against the sofa.

"Why me?" he lamented to the ceiling. Tonks, who was sitting nearby with Marlene, playing Exploding Snap, snickered. Harry turned toward her, cocking his neck at an awkward angle, and glared. She stuck her tongue out in a very childish gesture, but the card she was trying to place on top of the structure knocked into the rest. The whole thing came toppling down with a spectacular _bang_ , and both girls yelped in surprise, and Tonks's eyebrows and the ends of her hair were scorched and smoking faintly. Harry smirked in triumph. "Serves you right for laughing at my misfortune."

"This was your idea," his sister retorted. Harry grimaced at her and sat up straighter. The other boys were snickering at him.

"Remind me never to get a sister," James said with a grin.

"Yeah. Looks like they're more trouble than they're worth," Sirius agreed.

Remus rolled his eyes. "As if you could choose that."

"I'm sure you were thrilled she was Sorted here with you, but maybe you're regretting it now?" Peter added, grinning widely.

Harry sighed dramatically. "I get it. I can see when I'm not welcome." He got to his feet and headed for the portrait hole, making a show of dejection.

"You do realize curfew's in an hour, right?" Remus called after him. Harry waved a hand idly to show he'd heard but didn't reply.

Having escaped, Harry set a course for the statue of the one-eyed witch. Regulus might hate him right now, but that didn't mean Harry was going to ignore his birthday. He morphed himself to look a bit older, so none of the shopkeepers would question why a boy who looked to be Hogwarts age was in the village on an unsanctioned trip. Twenty minutes later, he was pushing open the trapdoor in the cellar of Honeydukes.

Despite the hour, there were a decent number of people there, most of them villagers. Probably because Christmas was coming up, and magical sweets would keep indefinitely (unlike muggle treats, which went stale after a while). Harry had no idea what Regulus liked, but figured he couldn't go wrong with chocolate. So he bought three large bars of Honeydukes specialty chocolate, and one more for himself. Then he stopped in the Hogsmeade branch of Flourish and Blotts and browsed for a while, looking for a book to help Regulus with Ancient Runes. After about thirty minutes, he found the perfect one: _A Compendium of Ancient Runes (Not One of Those Useless Dictionaries)._ He purchased it, then called it good because he only had so much money and he'd still have to buy Christmas gifts for everyone. He had it wrapped, and when Harry returned to the castle he stopped in the kitchen and tasked an enthusiastic house elf to deliver the book and the chocolates to Regulus in the morning. He made it back to the common room literally moments before curfew.

Predictably, no one had really moved. Remus looked up, his sharp ears picking up the sound of Harry's entrance over the chatter of the common room.

"Where'd you go?" James asked.

"And why do you smell like dust?" Sirius added, wrinkling his nose—it wasn't as sharp as Remus's around the full moon, but his animagus form did afford him certain advantages.

Harry shrugged, a mysterious smile on his face. "Nowhere special." Then he refused to say more, and just settled in and joined in the prank planning, deciding it was a lost cause and he might as well have fun, and do preemptive damage control if necessary.

Friday passed uneventfully. Harry was slightly disappointed that he never got a chance to wish Regulus a happy birthday in person, but the boy was deliberately avoiding him.

Saturday morning found Harry, Tonks, Lily, and Remus in the library. All of them had remembered either an essay or a project due on Monday or Tuesday and none of them—especially Lily—wanted to leave it for the last minute. The rest of the Marauders and Lily's other roommates apparently had better things to do on a Saturday morning. Harry knew Peter and Sirius, at least, were still asleep, or at least pretending to be. James was probably driving them both crazy. At least, he knew for a fact none of them were doing homework.

They'd been there for about an hour when Harry spotted a familiar figure making his way toward the back of the library, a certain, familiar, brand-new book tucked under one arm. His expression suggested he hoped to find someone there. He got to his feet, making the excuse of looking for a certain book, and headed back there to head Regulus off.

He got there a little too late, and found the younger boy sitting alone at their usual table, thumbing idly through the book, slightly despairing. "Hey," Harry greeted as he came into the other boy's line of sight. Regulus jumped slightly and scowled instinctively. Harry ignored the look and took the seat beside him. Regulus's expression turned uncomfortable. "Is that book of any help?" Harry asked, trying to start the conversation.

"I haven't really looked at it yet." Regulus shrugged. An awkward moment passed in silence, then he cleared his throat. "…Thanks, by the way. For the book, and the chocolate," he said, still a little awkward.

Harry smiled. "What kind of friend would I be if I ignored your birthday? And you'd better appreciate it—I snuck into Hogsmeade for you."

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Now why does that not surprise me?"

Harry chuckled. "I'm glad you've stopped ignoring me. I hate it when my friends ignore me—it's happened far too much. Though, it _is_ usually my fault," he added apologetically. "I shouldn't have asked such an insensitive question."

Splotches of red appeared on Regulus's cheeks and he shifted uncomfortably. "No…I'm sorry, for what I said, and for leaving like that." He didn't meet Harry's eyes.

"No, you had every right to get upset at me. If it were me, I'd probably have done the same. But if and when you decide to tell me, I'll listen. Until then, I'll leave it alone."

Regulus still looked uncomfortable. He wasn't used to having to apologize, or say thank you. And it still confused him why Harry even cared in the first place, or why he'd gotten him a birthday gift. "Thanks," he mumbled.

A moment passed in silence, then Harry filled it. "Do you still need help with your Ancient Runes project?"

Regulus hesitated, but nodded. "I can only get so much from the book. It's easier if someone explains it to me."

"Well, me, Joselyn, Remus, and Lily are studying here right now. You're free to join us, and we can all help you."

Regulus made a face. "Now why would I want help from a bunch of Gryffindors?"

Harry smiled wryly. "You just asked for my help, and I'm a Gryffindor." He pointed at his red and gold tie. "Besides, Runes isn't my strong point. I'm good, but only because I've studied in advance. Remus and Lily are better at it than me."

Regulus hesitated again, then he sighed a little dramatically. "Fine. At least you picked the four Gryffindors I _can_ tolerate." Harry grinned and led the way to the table he'd left the others at.

"Took you long enough," Remus said as Harry rounded a stack and came into view.

"Did you get lost back there?" Tonks quipped, smirking.

"Nope. But I found someone who was," Harry answered, casting his companion an apologetic look as Regulus scowled. "I think you already know him, but I'll introduce you properly. Lily, Remus, this is Regulus."

Both Remus and Lily looked surprised, though Tonks looked pleased. But they were all perfectly friendly. "Come on, Reg," Tonks said, waving him over. Regulus's scowl deepened.

"Is there something wrong with my name that you _both_ insist on shortening it?"

"Nope," Tonks replied, popping the "p" and grinning. "Didn't you know? Friends give each other nicknames."

Lily's mouth was slightly open at the casual way both Harry and Tonks interacted with Regulus, though Remus had seen it before and just smiled.

"I know we've met before, but I'm Remus Lupin," he offered, then he gestured at the empty seat beside him. "And I won't presume to give you a nickname, Regulus."

"Nor will I," Lily finally said, recovering from her surprise, "though I'd like to be friends. I'm Lily Evans."

"Regulus Black," Regulus replied with a slight nod at both of them, then he took the proffered seat. Harry frowned at Remus, because the chair Regulus had just sat in was the one Harry had occupied before. Remus just shrugged and smirked at him. Harry rolled his eyes and retrieved a chair from a nearby table and took his seat between Regulus and Tonks.

For a short while they worked in silence, then, a little hesitantly, Regulus turned to Remus and asked for help on his Ancient Runes assignment. Remus gladly began to explain it, and Harry smirked at how eagerly and easily Remus slipped into his teacher mode. He made a mental note to tease him about it later.

The group worked together for a while, Regulus growing slightly more comfortable around the other two Gryffindors as the moments passed. He even revealed some of his dry wit that both startled and amused. When Regulus finished all his homework, he seemed even a little regretful to no longer have an excuse to stay. Instead, he made up an excuse to leave.

"I should probably go. I'm not sure my housemates will understand why I'd want to spend a whole Saturday in the library, let alone with a bunch of Gryffindors," he drawled.

"If they give you any grief, you'll silence them, no problem," Tonks said, grinning.

Lily nodded in agreement. "And you now have two sixth year prefects on your side, so don't hesitate to ask for help."

"Thanks, then." Regulus nodded, his expression neutral. Harry, though, noticed that he seemed a little uncomfortable with the offer, not to mention overwhelmed. The fifth year nodded again at each of them, then gathered his books and left without another word.


	19. Dog Kisses and Holiday Spirit

Hello everyone! I meant to update last weekend, but my computer broke. I still don't have a new one, but I just couldn't wait to update and see what y'all think of my latest chapter, because I'm excited about it. So I'm borrowing a friend's computer.

Also, several of you have asked about the Marauder's Map and if it will reveal Harry and Tonks for who they really are. I do have a plan and an explanation for that, and eventually the Marauders will find out that their new friends are actually from twenty years into the future, but not yet. So don't worry; all in due time!

Enjoy!

 **Chapter 20: Dog Kisses and Holiday Spirit**

With the second week of December came the sign-up sheet for the students' holiday plans—whether they'd go home or stay at Hogwarts. The sheet was posted on the bulletin board in each common room on Sunday morning. As soon as it went up, James immediately put his name down to go home, as did Remus, Peter, and Sirius, though the latter had a sour look on his face. It was clear he would rather stay at Hogwarts by himself than return to that "hell-hole of a house," as Sirius put it. Harry and Tonks exchanged a look and the latter shrugged. Harry was about to write his name and hers to stay at Hogwarts, but James grabbed his wrist.

"And what do you think _you're_ doing?"

"Um…writing my name?"

"Yes, you're writing your name. But you're putting it in the wrong column, Harry."

"Huh?" Harry stared at him blankly, forgetting about the ink dripping off his quill, still held poised to write, with his wrist in turn gripped firmly in James's.

"Obviously, you're coming home with me," James replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not a stray dog you found lost and starving in an alleyway that you thought was cute and decided to adopt," Harry pointed out, though the offer both surprised and pleased him. "That's Padfoot," Harry added with a smirk. Peter and Remus (and Tonks) snickered while James frowned. Sirius looked indignant and opened his mouth to protest, but James continued before he could speak.

"You're missing the point! It's a tradition that the Marauders spend part of Christmas break together, if not the whole thing, and this year it's at my house. And, forgive me for being blunt, but you don't really have anywhere else to go, do you?"

"We could always go back to the Leaky Cauldron," Tonks chimed in, grinning. "Tom will set us up with all the firewhiskey we could want." Sirius looked like this option was preferable to his own arrangements.

"And what's wrong with staying at Hogwarts?" Harry said, ignoring his sister's quip. Though, by now he was being stubborn more for the sake of stubbornness than out of any real determination. In fact, it warmed his heart that James was inviting him to spend Christmas with his family, despite only being friends for three months.

"It's cold," Peter supplied.

"Drafty," Remus added, shrugging.

"Boring," Peter said, made a face.

"Lonely," Sirius put in.

"And pointless," James finished.

"And your parents wouldn't mind?" Harry asked.

James grinned. "Nah. They love it when the guys are over, and they come every year for at least part of the break, and they come round for a week or two every summer, too. My mum especially loves to fuss over us. Two more will just make them happier."

"Two?"

"Well, we can hardly leave your sister alone here in the cold, drafty, boring, lonely castle." James replied, winking at the other boys as he reused their descriptions.

"Yeah. That just wouldn't be fair to Joselyn," Sirius added, winking flirtatiously at her. She just rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure I'd enjoy Christmas too much if I had to spend it with you, Black," Tonks replied mildly, though a smile played around her lips.

Sirius adopted an air of deep injury and clutched his hand over his heart. "That hurts, Miss Carter. That hurts."

Remus shook his head, smiling. "Give it up, Padfoot."

"Moony's right, Padfoot," Peter agreed. "You've been flirting with her off and on for more than three months. If she hasn't given in by now, she never will."

"Please, listen to him," Tonks pleaded. All of them laughed.

"All joking aside," James said after a moment, "you two _are_ coming to my place for Christmas. No argument."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, rolling his eyes but unable to hide his smile.

"We'd love to," Tonks added, as if he'd requested rather than demanded. "Just as long as you clear it officially with your parents," she said sternly. Harry stifled a snort of laughter.

"Your age is showing, Jos," he teased. She looked taken aback, then she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What have I told you about mentioning a woman's age?" she said dangerously. Harry gulped.

"Sorry?" he said, but it was more of a question. He could hear the others snickering.

"You'd better be. Any more of your cheek and you'll be grounded until you graduate," Tonks said, only partly teasing.

"Yes, mum," Harry said cheekily, openly defying her.

Tonks frowned and stepped closer. Harry stepped back. She stepped forward again, and before Harry could move she'd grabbed him around the shoulders and ruffled his hair, ignoring his protests.

"Cheeky brat," she said affectionately. Harry broke free with an indignant cry. He was about to make yet another cheeky comment when he caught the wistful, longing look on Sirius's face. Hiding a grin, Harry tackled his sister to the ground—and into Sirius, knocking him down as well as he cried out in protest. Their flailing legs caught James, who tried to steady himself by grabbing Peter's shoulder but only succeeded in pulling the other boy down with him. Peter deliberately tripped Remus as well, who went down with an indignant cry. In less than a second, the five boys plus Tonks were in a heap of tangled limbs and cries and grunts of protest. Sirius grunted under the combined weight of five other people, and started shoving at Harry to get him off. Harry shoved his surrogate sister out of the way and tackled Sirius again.

"Oy! What did I do to you?" he exclaimed while the others laughed at Sirius's misfortune and tried to untangle themselves from each other.

"I just wanted to fix your face," Harry said, grinning and meeting Sirius's eyes with a meaningful look. His eyes widened slightly in surprise and for a moment it looked like he was about to say something, then he smirked and the glint of mischief returned.

"Well, in that case…" Sirius trailed off, and in hardly a second he'd flipped Harry onto his back and Sirius was now pinning him from above. Harry tried to fight back, but he was laughing too hard.

"Dog pile!" James cried, and Harry grunted as three more bodies landed on top of him. He dimly heard Lily scolding them for wrestling in the common room and heard her threaten a detention, but Harry didn't care. A free-for-all wrestling match was in full swing, and he was having the time of his life. All five of them were breathless with laughter and Harry was certain that after a moment, he heard a faint "click" and saw a camera flash while Tonks, free from the initial pile-up, smirked at them.

" _Really_ ," Lily began as the laughter died and the boys started to pick themselves up. "I'd expect you to act more mature." Peter snorted and tried to stop himself from laughing.

"You sound just like McGonagall," he said breathlessly.

"That's _Professor_ McGonagall," James and Sirius chimed in unison, then they burst into helpless laughter once again. Remus rolled his eyes, his lips twitching. Harry caught his eye as _he_ rolled his eyes as well, and they both grinned.

Lily huffed and was about to speak when Tonks cut her off. "Leave it be, Lily. They're just being boys. You really can't expect them to act mature until they're well into their fifties, and even then it's questionable."

"Too true," James said in false lament. "We just never really grow up." As if to prove his point, he stuck his tongue out at Harry for no good reason. Lily huffed again and stomped away. Harry couldn't help but smile—he'd seen Lily's lips twitch at James's and Sirius's quip and he knew she secretly enjoyed their antics.

"Well, James," Tonks began once Lily had gone, "are you going to make sure we're allowed to come to yours over Christmas or not?" she asked sternly, her hands on her hips. She ignored Harry's snort of laughter.

"Fine, fine," James said dismissively. "I'll write them right now, _mum_ ," he added, smirking. Tonks's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, and Harry hid his laughter behind his hand. Tonks cuffed him on the back of the head.

"This is all your fault," she complained.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Please. As if it wasn't deliberate that time."

Tonks narrowed her eyes at him. "That's beside the point. Go…plan a prank or something, and stop teasing me."

Harry's grin was echoed by the other four Marauders. "Yes, ma'am," they all said, saluting in unison, and Harry winked. Tonks huffed (though mostly for dramatic effect) and followed Lily up the stairs, leaving the five boys to dissolve, once more, into helpless laughter.

"Merlin, my ribs hurt," James said breathlessly after several minutes as the boys calmed down again.

"Mine, too," Peter agreed, taking a deep breath as if to prove to himself he still could.

"I needed that," Remus said, wiping away tears of mirth. Harry bumped his shoulder gently—Remus had been a little down the last few days due to the approaching full moon (which was the following night). It was good to see him so at ease.

"So…prank?" Sirius asked, rubbing his hands together. The boys grinned conspiratorially and put their heads together (literally) as they started going over their plan for their Christmas prank. For the rest of the evening, the rest of Gryffindor house stayed clear of the quintet huddled by the fire, fearing themselves to be the intended victims of whatever they were planning.

Monday was an…interesting day, to say the least. Remus woke late and was almost convinced to skip classes, on account of his own reported dizziness and nausea, not to mention the usual aches and pains that accompanied the day of the full moon. But Remus, true to form, refused to get behind on school work and didn't want to draw attention to himself by being absent. So, half-leaning on James, he accompanied them down to breakfast. Throughout the day, though, all the boys, but especially Remus, kept giving Harry sideways looks, as if wondering if he really was okay with the whole werewolf thing and if he really didn't mind going again that night. Harry just rolled his eyes at all of them and took on the role of Remus's crutch. The whole day he couldn't quite walk straight, and Harry noticed him beginning to limp pretty badly as the day wore on.

But that wasn't all. When Potions class came, it was obvious to anyone who bothered to look that Remus was struggling to pay attention, and he was so pale his skin was nearly translucent in the light from the fires lit beneath each cauldron. Partway through class he just gave up entirely and let Peter finish the potion while he read out the instructions from the book. Sadly, the Marauders weren't the only ones who noticed.

"What's wrong with Lupin?" Severus muttered to Harry as they worked on their Invigoration Draught.

"He caught some kind of bug, but refused to stay in bed," Harry replied as vaguely as possible. "Doesn't want to fall behind in his schoolwork." Harry frowned in Remus's direction. He knew he wasn't the only one who would have preferred Remus to stay in bed. James and Sirius kept casting him worried glances when they thought he wasn't looking, and Harry caught Peter having to steady Remus's hands more than once before he finally relented. "It's not contagious, though," he added as an afterthought.

"Sure it's a bug? It seems like a more…frequent ailment," Severus said with false ignorance. Harry made himself take a breath before he responded.

"According to James, he has a weak immune system. He's sick a lot." Harry shrugged, trying to pass it off as no big deal. Severus's jaw tightened at the mention of James and he left off for the time being, but Harry could tell he was far from letting it go. The rest of Potions class, Harry was a little on edge. He could also feel the anticipation building for that night. He knew what to expect, but at the same time it was always different, and from how bad Remus looked, it was bound to be a little rough.

Ancient Runes and DADA dragged by. Remus was half-asleep through both classes, and Sirius had to prod him awake when DADA ended so they could get to dinner. Thanks to the season, the moon rose much earlier, so they had to eat quickly in order to get Remus to the hospital wing with enough time to get him to the Shack before the transformation. When they got there, Remus looked awful. He was pale as a sheet, shaky, and unsteady on his feet. Harry had to take nearly all of his weight on the walk from the Great Hall to the infirmary because he was limping so badly. In fact, it was bad enough that Sirius took up a position on Remus's other side to help steady him while James and Peter took the rear and front respectively.

"We'll meet you there in a bit, Moony," Sirius murmured as they passed the young werewolf off to Madame Pomphrey. Remus nodded weakly but didn't speak. Harry squeezed his shoulder, his heart aching for his friend's suffering. It was a much subdued quartet that made their way down to the Whomping Willow after retrieving James's invisibility cloak.

They arrived just before the transformation began. Remus sat in the middle of the gouged, bloodstained floor, wrapped in a thick blanket but still shivering from the cold. His clothes were already on a shelf out of reach. Peter, already transformed, scurried over to sit on Remus's knee, offering marginal comfort in the moments leading up to the transformation. There wasn't time to say much, though, before it began. Remus went rigid and began to shake, his eyes screwing up in pain. Padfoot, already transformed, let out a whine. Harry bit his lip and transformed as well, sensing James do the same beside him. It was only moments before Remus's stifled whimpers became moans, and then screams, and then howls.

Moony shook himself and greeted his pack, though he showed slight confusion when confronting Russet at first, before remembering the previous moon. Then the werewolf greeted the tawny wolf with as much enthusiasm as he greeted the stag, the rat, and the dog. Padfoot eagerly opened the trap door and led the odd group into the Forbidden Forest. The icy December night air had little effect on the furred animals, and while they played, the heavy clouds that had hung over the castle for the last two weeks finally opened. The three canines, joined by the stag and the rat, spent half the night frolicking in the new-fallen snow.

When the sky began to lighten almost imperceptibly, the group herded Moony (who was incredibly reluctant) back toward the Shack, and they made it just in time for the transformation back. After a promise to stop by the infirmary during lunch if Remus hadn't returned yet, the other four cold, wet boys tromped back up the castle, Harry obliterating all trace of their passage as they went.

When they returned to the common room in Gryffindor tower, it was just after eight. Classes began at nine on the dot. They scrambled to get ready, changing out of their wet clothes and hurrying to make themselves look presentable while being half-asleep. They didn't have time for breakfast, instead heading straight to class. Despite their best efforts, though, they each lost five points for tardiness from Professor Flitwick. Tonks glanced over as Harry took his seat, giving him a once-over before relaxing once she saw that he was fine. Lily glared at them, especially when James and Sirius looked utterly unabashed for losing ten points from Gryffindor.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Remus was released from the hospital just before lunch, and he attended afternoon classes. All five of them turned in early that night. The rest of the week passed similarly, the anticipation building for the Leaving Feast on Monday night and the students' Tuesday departure, for those returning home for the holidays. That weekend was also the last Hogsmeade weekend before Christmas, and the village was packed. Once recovered from the full moon, all five Marauders threw themselves into the preparation for their prank. They researched appropriate charms and spells, and on Saturday in Hogsmeade they purchased all the supplies they lacked. They chose to divide and conquer, to save time standing in lines and pushing through crowds of people. By Sunday night, everything was ready. The five boys shared a smirk as they turned in for the night, excited for their prank the following day.

The castle was beautifully decorated for Christmas, from garlands on the handrails to a good scrubbing of the halls, walls, and floors. Peeves had even taught the suits of armor to sing Christmas carols (though often with rather lewd lyrics) whenever someone walked by. Huge pine trees stood in alcoves and corners, all of them draped with tinsel and fairy lights. But no one knew that beneath the harmless-looking decoration, chaos awaited.

Remus and Harry, being the most adept at stealth (and the least averse to rising before the sun) woke early to set off some of the key spells that required a special touch. They crept down the main corridor on the first floor, muttering the same incantation under their breath as they went, over and over again. Remus levitated Harry up toward the ceiling so he could properly adjust what hung there. Then, when their task was done, they returned to the tower and joined the other boys in donning their most festive attire.

James proudly wore his antlers (a partial animagus transformation) and allowed Peter to drape them with tinsel. Harry and Sirius used their talents for human transfiguration to do the same. (Sadly, being a metamorphmagus did _not_ translate to growing antlers out of his head, Harry discovered. Tonks laughed when he related his attempts). Peter and Remus took the roles of Saint Nicholas and one of his helpful elves, respectively. It was to just be a costume, until that evening.

That day was chaos, and the Marauders loved every second of it. First of all, they'd charmed all the portraits _and_ the suits of armor to sing carols and remixed traditional Christmas songs whenever somebody walked past, so the corridors were a cacophony of off-key singing all day long. Some areas were rigged with pressure-sensor charms that triggered fake snowfall (a rather cleverly engineered potion, if they did say so themselves) and left everyone it landed on singing as well for the next hour. Sadly, there were a few unfortunate souls who were caught multiple times, each time just as the last was about to wear off, and they were forced to sing anything they tried to say for the whole afternoon. Tonks got caught by that one when, with her typical clumsiness, she stumbled in a corridor and had to catch herself against the wall, triggering the pressure charm. When she arrived in Ancient Runes, she was singing at the top of her lungs.

Additionally, in all the frequently traveled hallways, they had hung mistletoe, and cast pressure-triggered sticking charms beneath every bough. One would only be released after a kiss. Unfortunately, since after one person got stuck, everyone gave them a wide berth (unless said person had a significant other), and they were often left hanging for minutes at a time, until someone else fell prey to their trap. This also meant quite a few doorways and corridors were blocked.

But there was a method to their madness. Per Peter's idea, they had "blocked" corridors in such a way that it would force everyone who didn't know secret passages or shortcuts to take the main corridor on the first floor—which, per Sirius's idea, they had widened and transformed into a sheet of ice. Perfect for skating on. There were meant to be classes that day, but none of the students wanted to go to class when freedom was so close. It was not an uncommon sight that day to see students of all ages skating down the corridor as if they hadn't a care in the world, whooping and laughing, their shoes spelled into ice skates. Harry inadvertently interrupted a very serious race between five fourth years, resulting in a spectacular collision, a few scrapes, two broken bones, and a number of points lost from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff (detention was pointless, it being nearly the holidays already). The best part was, the ice had been charmed in such a way that only one of the Marauders could remove it—a little trick Harry had taught them, and prayed to Merlin he wouldn't regret.

"Oops?" was all Harry could say when confronted about the "accident". His friends laughed and staged a race of their own during lunch. Being the Marauders, word spread quickly and quite a crowd turned out to watch. Tonks handled the betting pool, and forced Harry to participate, despite having never skated before in his life (it was his own ineptitude that had caused the collision earlier that morning).

"On your marks!" Tonks called out as the five Marauders took their places at one end of the corridor. James gave his trademark smirk, confidence just oozing off of him. Peter looked to be in it just for fun. Remus had the most determined look Harry had ever seen—he was in this to win. Sirius stood, casually elegant as per usual, ready to be off in a moment's notice. Harry was just struggling to make sure his skates stayed still.

"Get set!" Tonks raised her arm, and all the boys assumed ready positions. Sirius toed the line, eager to be off. Remus's face was set, his body relaxed but ready to shoot into motion at any second. James caught Lily's eye and winked, mouthing, "this is for you, Lily-flower." She scowled back and joined in the cheers for Peter, who flushed with pleasure at the attention. Harry took a deep breath and hoped he'd survive.

"GO!" Tonks jackknifed her hand down, setting off a spell that sounded like she'd fired off a shot, and the contestants were off. Harry wobbled a bit at first, but quickly gained his feet. Sirius was ahead, with Remus and James neck-in-neck just behind him. Peter was ahead of Harry but didn't seem to be trying too hard to win. Harry's natural athleticism kicked in just a little ways down the course, and amidst cheers and whistles from at least half the population of Hogwarts he quickly caught up to the leaders. Peter kept pace with him, not wanting to come in last. Harry was honestly surprised at how fast the boy was moving, especially since he'd never shown any athletic tendencies since Harry had known him.

"And Carter is coming up fast!" One student called from the crowd. Harry didn't dare take his eyes off the ice, but he recognized the voice as Frank Longbottom, seventh year, and grinned. "Potter and Lupin had better watch out!" The boy was commentating, as though it was a Quidditch match. He saw matching grins on James's and Sirius's faces, and Remus gave the boy a thumbs-up and a wink.

"Potter swerves to the right, the left, right again, trying to block Black. Lupin is neck-in-neck with him, folks; this is going to be a close one! Oh! And Carter passes Pettigrew, but Pettigrew isn't going to make this easy for him. And Lupin has passed Black, is gaining on Potter. Who knew the scrawny kid had it in him? Oy!"

Remus had flipped him the finger without even looking back, and Harry couldn't help but grin. He put on a bit more speed, his breath coming in short gasps. He could see the end of the course now—it stopped about a hundred feet before the staircase, and just after two more corridors opened onto the main one. Sirius had thought it would be fun to make the ice go all the way to the stairs, but Remus and Harry talked him down, saying that was far too dangerous.

"And Lupin and Potter are neck-in-neck, with only fifty meters to go. They're just flying across that ice, folks!" Frank continued, and Harry spotted him jogging along the edge of the course to keep up with them. Frank then sped up until he passed them so he could stand at the finish line with Tonks and announce the winner.

"But wait. What's this? There's someone—oy! Slow down!" Frank yelled, and Harry glanced to the left to see—McGonagall and Slughorn! Approaching from the corridor that intersected the temporary race course, totally oblivious to their imminent demise.

"What? We're not slowing down, you moron!" James shouted back.

"Hell, no!" Remus shouted at the same time.

"Slow down! Approaching critical! Abort! Abort!" Frank yelled, and some of the muggleborns and half-bloods in the crowd chuckled at the reference to any number of sci-fi or war movies.

"You're going down, Lupin," James growled, though his lips curved upward. Harry could hear even though he was slowing down, having seen the danger. Peter had already cut the race and left the course, blending neatly into the crowd of onlookers. Harry tried to do the same.

"Like hell I am, Potter," Remus retorted, but with the hint of a smile.

"Stop!" Frank yelled again, and then several things happened simultaneously.

McGonagall finally discovered not only the crowd and the racers, but the ice—by slipping on it. "What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" she exclaimed, barely keeping her balance. "Who's jinxed the corridor?" Then she recognized the two boys, hurtling toward her at an unchecked speed, and their looks of horror as they finally realized the danger. "Potter! Lupin! Why, I never! Stop this—"

"Get out of the way, Professor!" James yelled in desperation, trying to swerve out of the way.

"Move, Professor!" Remus called at the same time with equal desperation.

"What is the meaning—" Slughorn began, but he didn't have time to finish. With a last desperate cry from both of them, James and Remus collided with the two professors, sending all four of them tumbling head over heels down the rest of the corridor. Sirius, who had been trying to slow down unsuccessfully, barreled into the group already on the ground. The boys' momentum carried them all—even Slughorn with his ample belly—nearly to the edge of the staircase. The whole crowd ran (or slid; many of them were still on the ice) to the scene, where James, Remus, Sirius, and Professors McGonagall and Slughorn had stopped barely half a meter shy of tumbling down the stairs.

"We're dead," James moaned as he struggled to his feet and helped Sirius up.

"So much for being a prefect," Remus added grimly, extending his hand to his Head of House with a sheepish, apologetic smile. She accepted his aid and primly brushed off her robes before fixing him, Sirius, and James with one of her most deadly glares. Slughorn blustered about as he got to his feet, but wisely left the handling of the situation to the deputy headmistress.

"Would you boys care to explain just _what_ was going on here?"

"Well, you see," James began, running a hand nervously through his hair.

"We were racing," Remus continued, straightening his tie and avoiding his teachers' eyes.

"Because someone so cleverly transfigured the corridor into an ice rink." Sirius added, hiding a smirk. "We just couldn't resist."

"And…I suppose we may have…" James began.

"Gotten a little carried away," the three finished in unison, matching sheepish grins on their faces.

McGonagall gave them a stern look, then turned to face the crowd (which had thinned dramatically in the thirty seconds that had passed)."And the rest of you," she began, "did not _one_ of you protest this?"

Harry was slightly amused to see Lily lower her eyes. He hadn't even realized she'd been in the crowd until Tonks pointed her out (by elbowing him in the ribs and pointing). She wasn't the only one, though. Harry recognized a handful of other prefects from all the years in the group, and others who were known to be rule-abiding, student leaders in their own groups. Most of them looked appropriately shamefaced, but the Ravenclaw fifth year male prefect was grinning unabashedly, and his Gryffindor counterpart appeared to be planning his own race.

Peter was close behind Harry, and the trio plus Frank were near the finish line and therefore almost virtually on top of the action. Both Harry and Peter were suddenly glad they _hadn't_ been faster, or they'd be the ones on the other end of that fierce, patented Professor McGonagall _look_ , the one that saw right through every lie and excuse and made you feel like you wanted to sink into your shoes and never again see the light of day.

"This is a _very_ serious offense," McGonagall continued. "I will be taking five points for every one of you here in the crowd, and thirty points— _each_ —from Messrs. Potter, Black, and Lupin. The three of you will also serve two weeks' detention when you return from the break," she said firmly.

"Yes, Professor," they each said meekly.

"Very good. You are all very lucky no one got hurt," she said pointedly. "Now, if I am not mistaken, _all_ of you have classes to get to. Go on," McGonagall said sternly, and the remainder of the crowd dispersed.

"We should have put up signs," James murmured as the group filed into the Potions classroom.

"I shouldn't have even condoned the ice rink in the first place," Remus answered regretfully. "She should have taken my badge as well as give me detention."

"It was worth it, though, wasn't it? Even though neither of you won?" Sirius asked, and Harry saw a smile creep across Remus's face.

"We'll have to have a rematch," James said with a grin—Remus's smile was encouraging.

"Maybe use the Black Lake this time, though," Harry suggested. "Just in case, you know."

The others shrugged and took their seats as Slughorn came in. He gave James, Sirius, and Remus a bit of a dirty look before beginning class—it was clear the usually easy-going professor was _not_ happy about being run over by three teenaged boys on magicked ice skates.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. All the Gryffindors deliberately took the route to the ice-covered corridor on their way to the feast. James attempted to engineer a "chance" encounter with Lily under the mistletoe—several times—but only succeeded in getting himself stuck until first Marlene, then Sirius (with a pronounced smirk) took pity on him and pecked him on the cheek to free him from the sticking charm. James scowled at his best mate as he stepped away from the hanging bough. The one time Lily actually _did_ get trapped by the charms under the mistletoe, Harry and Peter blocked James, grinning, while Mary did the honors of freeing her roommate. She wouldn't talk to James the rest of the evening.

The Great Hall was spectacularly decorated for Christmas, with the same dozen trees that Harry remembered fondly from his own time. They were draped with tinsel and fairy lights and glittering glass balls, some of them translucent and featuring picturesque winter scenes. The sun was nearly set and the first of the stars were showing in the clear winter sky. The whole hall was lit with soft golden candlelight, though its source was a bit of a mystery. Huge wreaths hung above the head table and the main doors, appearing to hang in the sky thanks to the charms on the ceiling. Harry caught his breath when they entered, and the Marauders gave him knowing looks—it was supposedly his very first Christmas at Hogwarts, after all.

"Quite something, isn't it?" Sirius murmured as they headed to their seats. Harry nodded wordlessly.

"And we're about to make it even better," James added, grinning as he sat on Harry's other side. Remus and Peter sat across from them. Peter was fairly bouncing with excitement, and Remus's whole face was lit with awe and anticipation, not a trace of his affliction remaining. (Harry caught Tonks glancing their way, and saw her just about melt when she saw Remus. He smirked to himself and made a mental note to tease her about it later.)

"I can't wait," Harry agreed with a matching grin.

"We set off the snow once the food appears, and everything else waits until dessert. Got it?" James muttered, leaning in so all of them could hear. They all nodded, sharing a conspiratorial grin.

Before long, all the students had arrived and had taken their seats, as had all the teachers. Dumbledore stood and wished them all a Happy Christmas and gave a short speech. He ended with, "Tuck in!" and all the previously empty platters were suddenly filled with delicious-smelling dishes of all sorts. The five Marauders gave it a few extra seconds, then they each subtly raised their wands to point toward the ceiling and murmured, " _ninguis cado_." Almost imperceptibly, snowflakes that were neither cold nor wet began to fall from the charmed ceiling, disappearing as soon as they came in contact with something. Soft exclamations of awe swept the room like a whisper, and conversation felt muted, subdued. Many looked up and were surprised to find a cloudless, starry sky above them. The boys exchanged a nod and a smirk—phase one, complete.

The dinner conversation was as per usual. Harry helped himself to some roast pheasant, boiled potatoes, and redcurrant jelly on a roll, laughing as Sirius teased James for his failed attempts to trap himself and Lily under the mistletoe. Peter chimed in with, "And what does that make you, Padfoot, that _you_ were the one to kiss him?"

"It's a simple sign of affection," Sirius answered primly. "Dogs do it all the time."

"You're not a dog right now," James pointed out. "And you _definitely_ did not have to practice your doggy kisses on my face," he added with a grimace.

Remus snorted into his pumpkin juice. "He actually _licked_ you?" James nodded, grimacing again in Sirius's direction.

"For some reason it counted, though," Harry pointed out, "because James could move afterward."

James shuddered dramatically. "I don't even _want_ to know what that might mean."

"It means I like you, Jamie," Sirius said huskily, leaning _around_ Harry to get closer to James. Harry made a face and shoved Sirius away, nearly pushing him off the bench.

"Keep your tongue to yourself," he said. "Bad dog," he added, smirking. Sirius adopted a wounded look (once he recovered from nearly falling off the bench onto the floor) and pouted. Harry shoved the other half of his roll into Sirius's mouth (smearing red, sticky jam onto his nose and chin) and engaged Remus in a conversation. Sirius sputtered indignantly while Peter and James laughed and Remus tried not to as he explained fairy lights to Harry, though both of them knew the conversation was for show.

When they were all pleasantly full, the food suddenly vanished, to be replaced by all manner of Christmas treats. Naturally Harry reached for the treacle tart first. The others also loaded their plates with their chosen desserts, then on an unspoken signal, they each activated their part of the grand prank. Remus set off the follow-up spell to their snowflakes, which made everything they touched turn some combination of red, green, gold, silver, or blue (which included people's hair and clothing). Harry waved his wand and set the fairies free, and as they flew around the Hall they resembled fireflies, or stars as they went higher. Peter activated the charm on the tinsel that draped each tree, so it floated off the boughs and began to write holiday greetings in midair and in cursive, and in a few different languages, changing every thirty seconds or so. James triggered the spell that made the glass balls flash through combinations of the same color changes the "snow" from earlier had effected, the color changing every ten seconds. And Sirius readied the fireworks, levitating the candles in which they were concealed to slowly circle the hall in tandem with the fairies.

Aside from the gentle swishing and fluttering of the tinsel and the fairies, there was no more additional sound. The students were surprised, and some of them complained about the color their robes or hair had turned (especially since about a third of the Slytherins had turned mostly red—Gryffindor red). But for the most part, the students were pleased and awed by the prank, and even the teachers seemed pleased. However, more than one also looked slightly suspicious—namely, McGonagall and Slughorn (both of whom were still in a bit of a bad mood due to the unfortunate collision in the corridor during lunch). This was because the Marauders' pranks were famous for noise, and the eerie quiet that enveloped the hall was just that—eerie.

Just as the desserts were being finished, Sirius smirked and set off the fireworks as Peter snuffed out the light in the hall (causing a sudden uproar of confusion and alarm, only made worse by the sudden bangs and flashing lights). The "candles" exploded in a spectacular multicolor display, full of bangs and hisses and crackling, with a myriad of different shapes. At the same time, Remus set off the final stage of the snow. Everyone sprouted either antlers or a white beard or an elf hat or some combination of the three, visible in the light from the fireworks (which looked sharp and clear against the cloudless sky above—the weather had really worked in their favor this time).

It would have been perfect, but for one thing—they hadn't factored in how the fairies would react to the noise of the fireworks. When the first _bang_ went off, Harry was forcibly reminded of his first DADA class with Lockhart as the fairies descended with a vengeance. (Lockhart was presently a bratty second year Ravenclaw, as he'd discovered). The fairies went crazy, just like the pixies had. Snatching anything shiny, trying to nest in people's hair, upending the remaining dishes, and just causing general chaos, made even worse by the continuing darkness. Three fairies decided they particularly liked Sirius's hair and started pulling it. Sirius let out a very girlish shriek at the first tug that cut through the rest of the noise in the hall and left everyone who'd heard it laughing uncontrollably.

This went on for some five to ten minutes while the teachers tried to restore order. Finally, they relit the candles, illuminating the absolute disaster the Great Hall was now—scraps of tinsel were scattered everywhere, some of them still feebly trying to spell out "Joyeux Noël" but with only one or two letters. The glass balls from the trees were scattered across the Hall, fortunately not broken, and there was pudding and spiced cider everywhere. To put it shortly, it was a mess. Finally, Dumbledore raised his wand and said, calmly, " _Immobilus_." His voice cut right through the shouts and the laughter, and suddenly everything went silent.

"If anyone has been injured, please stay in your seats. Everyone else will follow their prefects in an orderly manner back to your common rooms. Be careful of the ice, and do take care to avoid any other…surprises that may await you in the corridors. Happy holidays, everyone!" the Headmaster finished, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

There was a sudden upsurge of conversation as the majority of the Hall filed toward the doors. A handful of students stayed behind, most of them with burns from hot dishes or liquids that had spilled but a few with scratches caused by the fairies themselves or, Harry noted, the antlers about a third of the students had sprouted over the course of the feast.

When they reached their dorm room, the five boys turned to each other and grinned. "Best. Prank. Ever!" they exclaimed together.


	20. Home for Christmas

Here's the latest chapter of "A Mishap and an Opportunity." Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me so far, and for all the reviews I've gotten. They always make me smile. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 21: Home for Christmas**

James and Sirius, and even Peter, insisted on going back over every detail of the prank that very night, praising the successes and plotting how to make it even better next time. Harry and Remus played along, faking exasperation with their friends. James kept them all up late, but one by one they all drifted to sleep. Everyone, that is, but Harry. He laid awake beyond the time he was sure everyone else had fallen asleep, unable to banish the smile from his face. He spent a few minutes carefully saving the days' memories in continuing his Occlumency, and then just kept reliving the best moments.

After a little while, though, as Harry began to drift off, he realized that one set of snores that he'd become so familiar with was absent—someone besides himself was still awake. And (after performing a quick _tempus_ charm) Harry saw that it was nearing three a.m. He sat up and glanced around the darkened room. James and Peter were sprawled across their beds, obviously fast asleep. Remus's hangings were partly closed, but Harry could hear him snoring softly. It was the last bed, Sirius's, that caught Harry's attention. The hangings were completely closed. That was unusual, though not unheard of. But considering they hadn't been closed earlier that evening, even after they all had gone to bed, it made Harry suspicious, and slightly worried.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry slid out of bed and, carefully avoiding the mess of books, clothing, and other random belongings scattered across the floor, crossed to Sirius's bed. He slowly pushed the hangings aside, letting them fall closed behind him. Sure enough, Sirius was awake, sitting against his headboard with his knees pulled loosely to his chest. He looked up at the slight rustling made by the hangings.

"And here I thought I was the only one still pathetically awake," Sirius said dryly.

Harry smiled slightly and shrugged as he sat beside Sirius on the bed. "Nope. You're not the only one. I was just about to go to sleep, though, when I realized I couldn't hear you snoring."

Sirius elbowed Harry in the arm. "Prat."

"Oy, that actually hurt!" Harry protested, rubbing the sore spot.

"Serves you right. I do not snore!"

"You do, actually," Harry replied, grinning. "But why _are_ you still awake?"

"Why are _you_?" Sirius returned, still with that odd, wry half-smile that Harry hadn't seen before, and didn't like.

"I was just remembering how cool our prank was and it kept me awake," Harry replied cheekily. "Your turn," he added after a moment.

Sirius gave him a _look_. "Surely you already have _some_ idea if you bothered to come over here. That, or you just missed me that much." A hint of his usual mirth glinted in Sirius's eyes, but that wry look was still there. And his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I do; I just wanted you to admit it out loud," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"And why would I do that?" Sirius retorted. Harry met his eyes and stared steadily back at him, and finally Sirius broke eye contact, cursing under his breath. "And what exactly do you want to hear? That I hate my family? That if I had a choice, I'd never go back there again? That I'm dreading arriving back at Kings' Cross?"

"That you're scared to go home," Harry added.

Sirius scoffed. "'Home'? That… _hell-hole_ hasn't been home since I was ten." Harry nodded, though he noted that Sirius didn't deny being scared. "My mother wishes I'd never been born, my father pretends I don't exist, and my brother hates me. Why the _hell_ would I call a place like that 'home'?" Sirius continued bitterly, his voice a harsh whisper to avoid waking the others.

Harry nodded again, biting his lip before he said he knew what it was like to be unwanted, to be forced to return to a place he wasn't welcome; living with the Dursleys didn't factor into Harrison Carter's backstory. But Harry could see that, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, how much Sirius wished there _was_ someone who understood. "You don't want to be alone," he observed softly.

Sirius opened his mouth, then thought better of it. He nodded shortly and turned away, his arms tightening around his knees. A little hesitantly, Harry put his hand on Sirius's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"For what it's worth, I don't think your brother actually hates you," Harry offered. Sirius scoffed again, but his arms tightened around his knees again, and even in the darkness Harry could see that his knuckles were white. "You know," Harry began softly, "they may be related to you by blood, but that doesn't make them your family. _We're_ your family, Padfoot. Me, Remus, Peter, and especially James. _We're_ your brothers."

Once again, Sirius nodded shortly but didn't speak. Harry wasn't sure what else he could say. He put his arm completely around the other boy's shoulders, squeezing gently. Sirius lowered his head so his forehead rested against his knees, and Harry wasn't sure, but it looked like he was also scrubbing away tears.

After a long and slightly uncomfortable silence, Harry spoke again. "You won't stay there long. If you don't come to us by Christmas, we'll come get you. Somehow."

Sirius abruptly raised his head. "You swear?" he asked intently, his voice cracking. His eyes were oddly bright.

"I swear. You won't be alone, Padfoot."

Sirius nodded, his mouth twitching toward a smile though his bottom lip trembled slightly. "Thanks, Russet," he said quietly.

Harry felt warm as Sirius called him by his Marauder nickname. "No problem, Padfoot," Harry replied. He'd noticed over the last month or so that, unless they were joking around, Sirius only used the nicknames when he wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere—that he was wanted. "That's what brothers are for," Harry added.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a huge yawn. Harry chuckled and Sirius tried to scowl, but he yawned again. Seemingly by accident, Sirius let his head fall onto Harry's shoulder with a level of familiarity that Harry hadn't realized they'd established yet. It wasn't unusual for Sirius to lay on James and Remus quite frequently, and even Peter on occasion. But it was the first time he'd done it with Harry.

"Tired, are you?" Harry asked with a smile, hiding his confusion (and pleasure) with amusement.

"Shuddup. 'M sleeping," Sirius mumbled groggily, his eyes closed. Harry glanced at his face and was surprised by how tired he looked, though he probably shouldn't have been—it _was_ only three-thirty in the morning, and he hadn't slept at all yet. Harry chuckled a little and allowed himself to relax. It wasn't long before his eyelids started to droop (he hadn't slept yet, either). Only moments later, Harry and Sirius were both fast asleep, Harry's head pillowed on Sirius's.

Harry woke slowly to rowdy voices. Since it had been so late (or early, depending on how you looked at it) when he finally fell asleep, he wanted to _stay_ asleep for a lot longer. With a muted groan, Harry moved to roll over—and fell across Sirius's legs. Sirius jerked awake in surprise, flinging Harry off the bed where he landed with a grunt.

"Ow," Harry groaned, still blinking the sleep from his eyes as he pushed himself up.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Sirius asked groggily, looking over the side of the bed. By now they had the other boys' attention, and James and Peter were already laughing helplessly.

"You kicked me," Harry retorted petulantly. He glared at James out of the corner of his eye as he stifled a snort of laughter.

"Well, what were you doing by his feet?" Remus asked amusedly. Harry, still only half-awake, grabbed the first thing his hand touched and threw it at the other boy.

"Prat," he grumbled.

Remus didn't dodge fast enough and Sirius's dirty sock hit him on the cheek. He grimaced in disgust. "Oy! That's disgusting!" he exclaimed and threw it back at Sirius.

"You know, it would be more productive to just put it in your trunk," James said matter-of-factly, trying to hide his smirk.

"He's right. It's already past nine, and the train leaves at eleven," Peter added.

"Bugger," Sirius muttered. He leapt out of bed and started throwing things haphazardly into his trunk. Harry hurried to get out of his way. Since most of his things were already put away, simply because Harry didn't like leaving his stuff lying around, he elected to avoid the chaos for now. He grabbed a fresh set of clothing and went into the bathroom to shower.

When he emerged, most of the packing was done. Though, Sirius was trying to shove a few books and the rest of his clothes into his already-overflowing trunk. Peter was helping, while James and Remus looked on and laughed. Remus's things were already stacked neatly at the foot of his bed, and James was just finishing up. Harry flicked his wand toward the overstuffed trunk, making everything they were trying to shove inside suddenly shrink down to a fraction of its size. The trunk lid slammed down with a _bang_ that made Peter jump. Sirius cursed and yanked his hand away before it got caught under the lid.

"Honestly, and you call yourselves wizards?" Harry asked, smirking as Sirius gave him the evil eye.

"Let's see you do it, then." Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Why bother when I can do this?" Harry responded, waving his wand. All his things flew into his trunk, not particularly neat but not nearly as disordered as Sirius's. He was suddenly grateful that Tonks had, on a whim, taught him that packing spell she'd tried to use the summer before his fifth year, the first time they'd met. He wasn't much better at it than she was, but at least he could make everything fit.

A moment later, the trunk lid shut gently, latching shut, and Harry snickered at the wide-eyed, slack-jawed expressions he was getting from everyone but Remus; the latter simply had his eyebrow raised, suggesting that he was impressed.

"Why didn't we ever think of that?" James lamented, falling dramatically across his still-unmade bed as though in a swoon.

"Stop being an idiot and let's go get some breakfast before we have to leave, yeah?" Harry suggested. They all nodded enthusiastically and followed Harry out of the common room. Breakfast in the Great Hall was already over, but they simply headed down to the kitchens. There they were treated to all sorts of treats and delicious breakfast foods. While they ate, they chatted about their plans for the holidays. Harry felt himself growing more and more nervous, and he noticed Sirius growing more and more depressed. But there was no chance for further conversation, because they'd suddenly realized the time.

The five boys hurried back to the tower to retrieve their trunks, and joined the group of students passing through the common room. Harry spotted his surrogate sister walking with her roommates—it appeared all of them were returning home for the holiday. He caught her eye and they exchanged a nod, silently agreeing to meet when they got to King's Cross.

The exodus to Hogsmeade Station and the train ride back to London were filled with excited chatter. Even Sirius overcame his depression and heartily joined in in several games of Exploding Snap and Gobstones as they planned their activities for when they were all finally together. Harry joined as well, but more often than not he simply remained silent, basking in the joy of being with his friends and about to spend the first Christmas he could remember with both his blood family _and_ his chosen family. By the time they arrived in King's Cross, all of them had singed eyebrows and James's glasses were still smeared with stinksap from the gobstones. He either didn't notice or didn't care, and just started chattering enthusiastically as they pulled into the station. The other boys just smiled and rolled their eyes indulgently.

As they pulled into Platform 9 ¾ Harry couldn't help but scan the crowd of parents for anyone who resembled James. He didn't see anyone he recognized, but he did see an unpleasant-looking woman in fancy robes that looked vaguely familiar. From the way Sirius sank deeper into his seat, away from the window, Harry assumed it was his mother.

"Good luck, Padfoot," Harry said in an undertone, bumping his shoulder reassuringly. Sirius looked up and gave him a faint smile of acknowledgement.

"Thanks, Russet," he replied. "One way or another, I'll be there for Christmas." Sirius's face was determined. "Keep an eye on Prongs for me, would you? It wouldn't do for him to have too much fun without me," Sirius added with a half-smile.

Harry grinned. "I will," he said just as the train jerked to a stop. The next few minutes were utter chaos. James's enthusiasm had been growing through the entire train ride and was now completely off the charts. He tried to drag everyone out of the compartment at once and, failing miserably, only managed to cause all of them to tumble to the ground in a heap.

"Sorry," James apologized over and over again as they picked themselves up, but his face seemed stuck in a permanent grin. Remus glared as he gathered up the books that had fallen out of his bag. Harry grunted when Peter's elbow stuck him in the gut, and again when Sirius tried to shove Harry off of him.

Finally the group managed to extricate themselves from the tangle of limbs and find their feet without any lasting injury. They said their farewells on the platform, exchanging promises to see each other in just over a week, then they went their separate ways. Remus and Peter vanished into the crowd to find their parents. Sirius tried to stick with James, and consequently Harry and Tonks, who had met them on the platform as agreed, for as long as possible. Unfortunately, Regulus found them before they found James's parents, and Sirius was obligated to leave with him. Harry watched both Black brothers disappear into the throng of people with a feeling of trepidation, knowing that neither one of them especially wanted to be there.

Harry caught James watching Sirius go with a similarly worried expression. Then James scanned the crowd again and his face lit up. He forcibly grabbed Harry and Tonks by the wrists and half-dragged them toward the far end of the platform, babbling now about how much they were going to love his parents and how much fun they'd have. Tonks and Harry exchanged a longsuffering look touched with amusement as they trailed after the enthusiastic Potter heir.

Moments later, through a break in the crowd, Harry spotted an older couple that could only be James's parents. The man had the same untamable black hair, though his was shot through with gray. The woman had graying hair the color of mahogany. Both were wrinkled, but by smile and laugh lines. When they spotted James, they both smiled widely in greeting. Once James reached them, he was greeted with a hug and a hair ruffle from his mother and father, respectively. He protested both, but only halfheartedly.

Harry and Tonks stood a little off to the side, watching the trio with amusement, though Harry felt uncomfortable as well, and his stomach was twisting in knots. These were his _grandparents_ that he was meeting for the first time. He hoped they liked him, that he would like them, that—

"Mum, Dad, this is Harrison and Joselyn Carter. Though, we call him Harry," James was saying.

"Unless you're a Black," Harry muttered under his breath so only Tonks could hear him. She smirked a little, then stepped forward to receive the warm hug from James's mum while his dad extended a hand toward Harry. He shook it, some of his unease vanishing at the warm but firm grip.

"I'm Charlus Potter, and this is my wife, Dorea," the man introduced himself and his wife.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter," Harry said. He grinned, thinking how odd it was to address someone _else_ as Mr. Potter, when he'd heard it directed at himself countless times (and usually in tones of disapproval).

James and his father both laughed in unison. "Don't ever call him 'mister.' He hates it," James said, grinning.

"As my son said. Please, call me Charlus."

"And you may call me Dorea," his wife added, holding her arms out. Before Harry could do anything more than nod, he suddenly found himself enveloped in a hug that rivaled Mrs. Weasley's in strength, but warmer somehow. His throat closed up and he was glad to pull away—any longer and he might have started crying.

"Now, James has told me that both of you can apparate?" Charlus asked.

"Yep," Tonks said proudly.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered automatically. Charlus laughed heartily.

"Oh, I do hope your good manners will rub off on this hooligan," he said, ruffling James's hair. James ducked away with a cry of protest, but he was grinning. "Please, there's no need for niceties."

"Yes, s—I mean, okay," Harry replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but James's parents had so far been incredibly accepting and it had barely been five minutes.

"Good. The two of you will apparate to Potter Manor, then. Got it? I know you've never been there, but if you concentrate hard enough on the destination, you'll get there in one piece," Charlus said, still smiling slightly.

"Got it," Tonks replied, nodding. Harry nodded, too.

"See you in a moment, then," Dorea said with a smile. She and her husband each put a hand on James's shoulders. Harry grinned at James's disgruntled look, and laughed aloud when James stuck his tongue out at him. An instant later, he and his parents disappeared with the familiar _crack_ of apparation.

When they had gone, Tonks and Harry exchanged a slightly doubtful look, and Harry shrugged. Tonks did, too, and by common consent they loosely grasped hands—that way, if they didn't make it to Potter Manor, at least they'd still be lost together. Then, concentrating hard, they turned on the spot and disapparated.

The pair appeared in front of a Victorian-style manor house just seconds behind the others. A blast of cold wind made both of them shiver. James grimaced at them when he saw they'd arrived, clearly annoyed that they could apparate on their own and he'd had to rely on his parents.

"Oh, good. You made it. Come in, please," Dorea said, beckoning with her hand. Tonks and Harry followed, looking all around them as they crunched up the muddy gravel drive toward the front door.

A wrought-iron gate encircled the snow-covered grounds. Various statues and topiaries that littered the grounds looked like elevated white lumps. In the height of summer, Harry thought, the manor was probably stunning. Blanketed in white, however, with the trees bare of any foliage, it had an austere and rather intimidating air. So when Charlus opened the door onto a warmly decorated entry hall, it was a shocking and welcome difference from the outside.

The three Potters led Tonks and Harry on a brief tour of the rooms on the first floor. Each room, though most were empty, was warmly and tastefully decorated and felt inviting and homey. And Harry had the brief and startling thought that he would have grown up here, had things turned out differently. A bittersweet feeling washed over him, momentarily rendering him incapable of speech. So he was glad when Dorea spoke.

"James can show you where you'll be staying, then the three of you can wash up and change before supper."

"Sure, Mum," James replied. He led Harry and Tonks up to the third floor, pointing out rooms of note—his parents' bedroom, his dad's study, the library, etc. Just past the landing on the third floor, he finally stopped. "This is where all the guest rooms are. My room is on the second floor, but I always move up here when my friends come over to be closer to you guys," he added with a grin. "Harry, you'll be here, and Joselyn, you'll be right beside him." James indicated two doors side by side just off the landing to the left. "Sirius, Remus, and Peter will be across the hall when they get here, and I'll be in the room beside you, Harry."

"Thanks," Tonks said. She winked at Harry, then disappeared through the door James had indicated as her room for the duration of their stay.

"Bathrooms are attached!" James called after her. She waved just before closing the door to indicate she'd heard.

"Thanks again for letting us stay here," Harry said with slight awkwardness, turning to James.

James clapped him on the back. "You're a Marauder, and Marauders are always welcome in my house," he said, grinning. "And your sister's an honorary one, because, well, she's your sister, and she's gotten us good a few times," James added sheepishly. Harry grinned—that was certainly true. "So don't even worry about it."

"Thanks," Harry said again, inwardly pleased by his young father's words. He raised a hand, then disappeared into his room. Pulling the door shut behind him, he turned to face the room, and his jaw almost dropped.

Harry had been expecting a decent-sized room, but this one was the size of his entire _dorm_ in Gryffindor tower. A queen-sized four-poster bed stood against the wall to Harry's right, the deep red quilt woven of some of the highest quality material money could buy. A bedside table with three drawers sat beside the bed. Against the wall directly across from where Harry stood, below the window, sat an elegant desk and an armoire occupied the left wall across from the bed. The floor was hardwood, like the rest of the house, but a luxurious rug adorned the middle of the room.

Harry deposited his trunk at the foot of the bed and pushed the thick curtains aside to look out the window. Behind the manor stretched a seemingly endless expanse of white. The snow-covered grounds had to span at least five kilometers square, Harry estimated, still amazed at the sheer _size_ of the manor. A line of trees cut the space in half, but above them and in the distance Harry spotted the tell-tale golden hoops of a Quidditch goal post.

Finally, Harry turned away from the window. He was almost afraid to leave his stuff around, since the room looked so nice, but it was to be _his_ room, after all, at least for the next two and a half weeks. So he left his school robe across the end of the bed and took off his school tie as well. Then he opened his trunk, wondering what to wear for dinner. He knew that a lot of purebloods made it a formal affair, from what he'd heard from his school mates, but the Potters didn't seem like the type of people to dress up all that much. At the same time, Harry wanted to make a good impression, but the faded sweatshirt and worn-out jeans he currently wore weren't exactly what he was hoping for.

After some debate, he finally settled on dressy casual. He donned black slacks and a dark green jumper over a white collared shirt. His unruly hair was even more unruly than usual, mostly due to the scuffle in the compartment earlier, so he morphed it a little longer and a lot neater before tying it back away from his face. Harry studied himself in the mirror for a moment, then took a deep breath and left the room.

At that moment, James was passing in front of the room. Harry was relieved to see that he was dressed similarly in khaki slacks and a navy blue collared shirt. James glanced over Harry's outfit and nodded approvingly, his lips quirking toward a smirk. As they passed the third door, Tonks emerged. She opened her mouth to greet them, but stopped short, an incredulously amused expression crossing her face. At first Harry was confused, but then he grinned, too.

He and Tonks were dressed almost identically. She wore black jeans and a fitted knit jumper in a very similar shade of green to Harry's, and she'd even tied her hair back the same way he had. James looked from one to the other with a half-smile of surprise. "Well, if I had any doubt that you were twins before, it's gone now," he said, grinning.

Tonks and Harry exchanged a look and grinned back. "We're just too alike to deny it any longer," Tonks said dramatically. Harry smiled and rolled his eyes, and then the trio descended the stairs to the kitchen.

In the kitchen they found Dorea putting the finishing touches on the meal. The table was already set and Charlus had just set a large bowl down in the center of it. "Oh, good, you're just in time," Dorea said. "Go on and sit down."

"Smells great as always, Mum," James said, reaching for the treacle tart set out on the end of the table. Dorea smacked the back of his hand with the wooden spoon in her hand.

"No dessert until after dinner, Jamie," she said sternly. "You ought to know better by now." James lowered his hand, pouting, and sat down looking thoroughly put out.

 _Jamie?_ Tonks mouthed at Harry as they sat down. Harry grinned back, promising to tease him at every opportunity from now on.

"Your mother's right, you know. You can't have dessert until later— _unless you can pull it off without being caught_." Charlus added the last part in a whisper, but Harry still heard since the two Potter men were just beside the seat he'd chosen. His lips twitched—he knew where James got his trouble-making tendencies from now.

In short order, all the food was on the table and everyone had taken their seats. The initial conversation started out casually, with the usual questions. Then Charlus breached the topic they'd been dodging around all evening—why they transferred.

"James told us what happened to your parents and guardian. You have my sincerest condolences," he said solemnly, giving both Tonks and Harry a sympathetic look.

"You poor dears," Dorea added. "Where did you stay until school started?"

Tonks shrugged. "We got a room at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Tom was pretty accommodating," Harry added. "And he let me work in the kitchen to pay for school supplies. Joselyn got a job with Madame Malkin."

"Wait a minute," James interrupted, as though he'd just realized something. "You were there in August? Were you there during the Death Eater attack?" He sounded part worried and part awed.

"We were there," Tonks answered simply.

"We helped fight," Harry added in a subdued voice, recalling the terror of that day.

" _That's_ why you kids looked familiar!" Charlus exclaimed suddenly.

"Huh?" James asked dumbly, and Dorea looked puzzled.

"I didn't mention it because there was no reason to. And I didn't want to give _you_ any ideas," Charlus added, giving his son a stern look. "But that day I remember two teenagers who did as much—if not more—than us aurors. Magnificent dueling, it was. Why, it's like the two of you were trained by aurors yourselves!"

Tonks looked smug and Harry gave her a faintly amused look; in actual fact, they both _had_ been trained by aurors—Tonks by Mad-Eye Moody, and Harry by Tonks.

"Where did you learn? Can you teach me?" James asked excitedly.

"Whoa, James. Slow down," Charlus said, laughing.

"Why do you want to learn?" Tonks asked, her tone serious but a faint smile on her face.

"So I can fight, of course," James replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have firsthand experience, surely you understand. Plus," he added with a grin, "it'll be fun to learn."

Harry and Tonks exchanged an evil look. "In that case, we can start immediately," Tonks said with a dangerous glint in her eye.

James immediately backpedaled. "Uh…maybe wait until after the holidays? I'd like to enjoy Christmas with, y'know, the full use of all my limbs," he said warily. Tonks and Harry exchanged a grin while James's parents chuckled.

"You know, Joselyn, you don't strike me as one with a mischievous streak," Dorea said to Tonks. "It's always Harry getting mixed up with James's schemes." Tonks looked surprised, then she burst into laughter.

"Trust me," Harry said over his sister's guffaws, "I get it from her, not the other way around. In fact, she's worse than I am. Give it a few days—you'll see what I mean."

James glanced at Tonks, his expression a very odd mix of wariness and manic glee. "I can't wait," he said, rubbing his hands together. His parents both sighed dramatically, then the conversation once again turned light, recounting their adventures over the last few months.

When the meal was over, James finally got to eat his treacle tart. While Harry liked it just as much as James, he still spent the evening teasing him about it, with ample input from Tonks. But as they sipped cocoa and chatted casually, Harry felt his eyelids begin to droop, and James had already nodded off over his mug—it was a miracle it hadn't spilled yet.

"Looks like it's time for bed," Dorea announced, smiling at the two boys. Tonks looked tired, too, Harry noted, but she did a better job of hiding it. His mum's voice started James out of his drowsy state and he jerked awake, consequently spilling his cocoa all down his front. Harry snorted, trying not to laugh, but at the look on his face and the fact that both his parents were grinning at him, too, he gave up and burst into guffaws. Tonks joined in, and they were still laughing a little as they headed up to their rooms while James grumbled.

"Good night," Tonks said when they reached their rooms. Harry grudgingly submitted to an affectionate hair ruffle from his surrogate sister (and smirked when she did the same to James and he sputtered in protest) then he raised a hand slightly before entering his room. Exhausted and pleasantly full, Harry barely took the time to undress before he collapsed onto the luxurious mattress. He was asleep almost instantly.


	21. Christmas with the Potters

Sorry for the wait, but here's the newest chapter of _A Mishap and an Opportunity_. Don't forget to tell me what you think. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 22: Christmas with the Potters**

"—and then we charge them. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Let's get them!"

With those words, James and Harry ran shouting from behind their makeshift wall, weapons raised high. Almost immediately they were bombarded, but well-honed Quidditch reflexes allowed them to avoid being hit. James had wanted to do boys versus girls, but that was only because his dad was a formidable soldier. James wanted that power on his side. But Tonks protested, claiming that to be sexism, so Harry elected they divide the teams by age, oldest versus youngest. His cheek still hurt from the blow to the face—he still swore it had been pure ice, though his sister claimed it was merely very firmly packed. This charge was their revenge.

"Now!" James cried, and he and Harry let fly their icy projectiles.

"You shouldn't shout when you attack!" Charlus called. Harry dived into the powder to avoid the missile—the rule was, you get hit, you're "out," and the winning team was the team the last player standing belonged to. House rules, James had explained. Speaking of James, he narrowly avoided being hit by his father's snowball.

"It was a war cry!" James protested. "It's supposed to strike fear into the heart of the enemy!"

"The only ones who should be afraid are the two of you." Tonks grinned menacingly, rolling a new snowball between her gloved hands. Harry gulped, but he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

He scooped up a handful of wet powder and packed it quickly, then darted to his feet and used his speed to get close enough for a point-blank shot. His snowball went flying through the air with a whistling sound and hit his sister cleanly on the back of her neck. She yelped as snow dropped down the collar of her coat—her dodge had been _just_ too slow. The glare she gave him as she sat down was deadly. Harry just smirked back—he'd mastered the art of packing the snow just enough for it to stay together in the air, then burst on impact, and he'd specifically planned for this outcome.

"Why aren't you a chaser?" James complained. He dropped to the snow, dodging yet another frozen missile from his parents.

"I prefer seeker," Harry called back. He flinched as he felt the cold wind of a snowball flying right past his cheek. As if to prove his point, the next snowball was right on target. Harry caught it on instinct seconds before it hit him in the nose. He threw it back at the source, and James's mum yelped as she dodged it.

"Wicked!" James exclaimed. He leapt back to his feet and ran at his parents with a handful of snow. Harry grabbed his own handful and threw it as an assist—but he was too hasty and the snowball went off course. It hit James on the shoulder, just a few inches from his dad's back. "Oy! Friendly fire!"

"Sorry!" Harry called back. James and his father turned and in unison they launched their projectiles. Harry yelped and ran, the other two Potters in hot pursuit. From there the game dissolved into a free-for-all. No rules, no penalties for getting hit—just hit the other person more times than they hit you. Tonks got her revenge by tackling her surrogate brother into the snow and smashing a handful of powder into his face. Sputtering, shivering as ice crystals slid down his neck and down his coat, Harry cried for mercy. James came to his aid, but only long enough to distract Tonks. Then his next snowball hit Harry right on the ear. Charlus and Dorea were just as resourceful and merciless in their bombardment of their son and his friends.

Hours or only minutes later, the five tromped back into the house, soaking wet and with cheeks flushed from cold and laughter. Dorea ordered all their wet outer clothing left at the back door, then she prepared hot cocoa while the others cast warming and drying spells on themselves. They talked and laughed while they drank their cocoa.

During a slight lull in the conversation, Harry glanced around him. It had only been three days since he and Tonks came to stay with the Potters, and frankly, Harry had never felt more at home. He felt like he'd known James and his parents for years already. Maybe it was because, technically, he was related to all of them by blood. But then again, Harry thought ironically, he was related to his aunt Petunia and Dudley by blood, too, and he'd never felt even the slightest bit welcome in that house. The less he was seen or heard from, the better. But here, Charlus and Dorea made an effort to bring him into the conversation, and Tonks was always teasing him in ways that left him no choice but to refute. James was only too happy to help her, though he didn't have nearly as much material.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Dorea asked, jolting Harry out of his reflection. He hadn't realized the conversation had begun again.

Harry smiled. "Just wondering how to get James and my sister back for teasing me," he replied. Tonks snorted.

"Like you have anything on me."

"Two words for you: Remus Lupin." Harry grinned cheekily as Tonks's face flushed and she sputtered in protest.

James's jaw dropped. "What? You like Remus? Since when? Why didn't I notice?"

"You were too busy not realizing that Lily _doesn't_ like you," Harry replied mildly while Tonks glared at him. It was James's turn to flush and both his parents chuckled.

"And what about you, Harry? Is there anyone _you_ like?" Charlus asked, winking.

Harry grinned. "Nope. One girl is more than enough for me." He nudged Tonks in the ribs and she whacked his shoulder.

"Enough of your cheek," she lectured.

"But what is a sister for, dear Joselyn, if not to tease?" Harry answered, winking. James snickered.

"I'd hate to see the disappointment on Sirius's face when he realizes your heart has been stolen by another—and by his best friend, no less. I might have to hold him while he weeps bitterly," James grinned.

"I thought you were his best friend," Harry observed.

James smirked at him. "Friend? No. We're brothers. The rest of you are just friends."

"That hurts, Jamie. That really hurts," Harry said dryly. James reddened at the use of his mum's nickname, and Tonks and Harry snickered.

"Mum! I told you to stop calling me that! I'm not five anymore."

"You'll always be Jamie to me, son," Dorea replied, ruffling James's hair. James sputtered and protested, trying to doge out of the way. Grinning, Harry and Tonks kept him from escaping while his mum, shortly joined by his dad, started tickling him until James fell off the chair, laughing helplessly even while as he grunted in pain from the impact with the wood floor.

When James could breathe again, he fixed Harry with a glare that felt way too familiar. "Forget friends. You are now my mortal enemy. Beware my revenge."

"Do your worst, Jamie," Harry retorted, unable to hide his smirk. James stared at him in shock, as though unable to believe his reply. Then he gave a cry and leapt on Harry, tackling him to the ground.

Amused, Charlus separated the two with a wave of his wand. "Save it for the snow, boys."

Both James and Harry nodded, and James fixed Harry with a deadly, calculating look. Harry's hand unconsciously reached for his wand. Before either could speak, though, Dorea's voice cut through the playful tension between them.

"Who wants to help me cook dinner?"

Tonks went to volunteer but Harry cut her off. "Not a chance. I refuse to eat more of your burnt attempts at a meal. And I don't know if I trust James in a kitchen," Harry said, looking at the other boy. James shrugged, his earlier annoyance forgotten though there was still a glint in his eye that promised retribution.

"Then you help, if you're so good," Tonks said.

"I will," Harry retorted.

"Great! The rest of you, stay out of the way." Dorea looked specifically at her husband and at her son as she spoke. "In fact, why don't you get started on your homework, James?"

"Ah, no fair!" James protested. Tonks grinned and nudged him.

"Come on. I'll make sure the parchment doesn't kill you." Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the stairs. James let himself be dragged, a disgruntled look on his face. Charlus winked at his wife, then left the kitchen as well. And Harry suddenly found himself alone with his grandmother, not that she knew it.

"Have you ever made chicken parmesan, Harry?" Dorea asked, beginning to take down ingredients, both by hand and with her wand.

"Once or twice, but not for a while," Harry replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Would you grab the pan, dear?" Dorea asked absently. Harry obliged, taking the long pan from the cupboard she indicated. "Do you cook often?"

"Fairly often." Harry set the pan on the counter, wishing he felt more confident. But this was his first one-on-one interaction with the grandmother he'd never known, and while he was comfortable with the whole group, he wasn't quite sure how to react. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever had a one-on-one conversation with _any_ adult, aside from his professors at school. Certainly never in such a homey setting. "My…godfather didn't cook much, and my sister always burns things. So I had to learn. It was coincidence that I was any good at it," Harry added.

"That's perfectly all right. You might not know it, but women love men who can prepare a home-cooked meal." Dorea winked at him. "It's a shame Charlus and Jamie don't have a knack for it. But then again, neither did my parents. Maybe it skips a generation every now and then."

Feeling a little bold, though a little awkward at the same time, Harry spoke up. "Men like women who can cook, too. Is that how you got James's dad to fall for you? Through your cooking?"

Dorea chuckled as she began adding ingredients to a bowl. She directed Harry to mix the batter for the breading while she answered. "Partly. Don't tell Jamie, though. It might put ideas into his head that could be dangerous."

Harry couldn't help but laugh, picturing James attempting to cook Lily a meal in an attempt to woo her and ending up with a burnt mess. "I won't. If he had any common sense, though, he'd ask someone else to cook in his place."

Dorea laughed as well. They worked together easily, Harry was a little surprised to find. And once he started mixing the sauce for the chicken, something he'd done countless times before, he grew more comfortable. Dorea handled the preparation of the chicken itself and tossed a green salad, while Harry did the other side dishes. At his request she also taught Harry to make treacle tart, something he'd always wanted to try but never had time or ingredients for. When everything was ready and Harry's treacle tart was warming in the oven, Dorea smiled at him and sent him upstairs to fetch his sister and James.

Dinner was a casual affair, full of laughter and easy conversation. When the main meal was over, though, Dorea gave Harry a nod. Feeling a little nervous, he fetched the treacle tart from the kitchen and brought it out. It looked and smelled almost exactly the same way Dorea's had the first night, but he still couldn't help but worry he'd messed it up somehow. And Harry realized he'd never bothered to cook for anyone he wanted to make a good impression on. The Dursleys hadn't cared and never acknowledged his work, and over the summer it had only been necessity. This time, though, Harry was hoping everyone would like it.

Dorea smiled as Harry set the tart down on the table. "I told Harry what to do, but he made this himself." Harry felt his cheeks warm as he heard the pride in her voice, and he ducked his head to hide his pleasure.

"Did he, now?" Charlus said, glancing at James. James scowled, his face coloring. Harry smiled to himself, wondering when James had tried to make treacle tart, and what the result had been.

"Now, Charlus. We all have different talents. James's happen to be on the Quidditch pitch, rather than in the kitchen," Dorea chided gently.

Harry finished cutting the tart and serving them onto plates. "I hope you like it," Harry said nervously, handing them around. Then he took his own piece and resumed his seat between Tonks and James. He hesitated before taking a bite, instead watching the others' reactions. James took the first bite, as if to make a point. His eyes widened comically as he closed his mouth around the fork.

"Bloody hell, this is really good!" he exclaimed with his mouth full. His mum hit the back of his hand with a wooden serving spoon.

"Language, Jamie. And mind your manners."

James scowled, but his expression quickly changed to a look of pleasure as he devoured the rest of his treacle tart.

Tonks swallowed pointedly with a teasing look in James's direction, then she smiled. "He's right, though. This is really good, Harry," Tonks said, her tone a mix of surprise and pride. Harry ducked his head as his cheeks flushed—he never knew what to do with compliments.

Charlus took the next bite, and his eyes widened just like his son's had. "Goodness, it tastes just like yours, dear," he said to Dorea. Harry blushed harder, and for perhaps the first time he was actually struggling to keep his hair from changing color as well.

Dorea took her first bite as well, and gave Harry a warm smile. "Well done, Harry. It's exactly right."

"Only thanks to you," Harry managed to say through his embarrassment.

Tonks nudged Harry in the side. "It's your turn, Harry."

"Right." He cut a piece off with his fork and put it in his mouth. The flavor exploded on his tongue, the texture perfect. He couldn't help a smile. It was perhaps the first time he'd been able to taste the results of his cooking, at least when it came to things he cooked for others. And he had to agree with the others—it tasted just like Dorea's had the first night, which had been better than even the treacle tart at Hogwarts.

The next few days until Christmas Eve went by quickly, and Harry had the most fun he'd had in a long time. Despite initially being nervous about fitting in with James and his family, Harry found that within just a few days he felt like _part_ of his family. And that was something he'd never really felt before, even with the Weasleys. And it got even better on Christmas Eve night.

"You kids ready to put up the tree?" Charlus asked after supper was put away.

"You bet I am!" James exclaimed, and Harry and Tonks nodded enthusiastically.

"Then go and get the decorations from the attic while we get the tree ready," Charlus replied, grinning at the kids' enthusiasm.

"Come on," James beckoned, and the trio headed up the stairs.

"Attic" was the right name for it. It was on the fourth floor. A panel descended from the ceiling, morphing smoothly into a simple wooden ladder from the floor up to the ceiling, obviously by magic. James led the way up the ladder, followed closely by Harry and then Tonks. Harry sneezed at the dust in the air, and Tonks made a noise of disapproval. James shrugged sheepishly as he lit his wand nonverbally.

"We only ever come up here at Christmas," he admitted. "Ever since first year, we've done the tree the muggle way. I have to admit, it's a lot more fun than just conjuring ornaments and levitating them onto the tree with sticking charms," James explained. He started sorting through boxes and trunks full of stuff. Harr glanced interestedly

"Would that have anything to do with the fact that you met a certain redheaded muggleborn your first year and came home repeating all the stories she told about how _her_ family celebrated Christmas?" Tonks asked slyly, smirking when James's cheeks colored faintly.

"No," he denied unconvincingly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Please. Everyone knows you've been infatuated with her since first year. And you _do_ talk about her a lot," he said with a grin. The color in James's cheeks darkened.

"Shut up, Russet," he muttered, shoving a box into Harry's arms as a distraction. Harry stumbled back a little and grunted under its weight, but dutifully carried it to the top of the ladder to bring down later.

"You might as well quit denying it," Harry said mildly when he returned. Tonks nodded in agreement. He helped James move a particularly heavy trunk out of the way so they could get at the boxes behind it.

"She's never going to pay attention to me anyway, so why bother?" he mumbled. He grunted as he tried to shove aside one more box.

Harry took pity on the boy and cast a locomotor charm on the box to move it out of the way, "You know," he said. "the only reason she hasn't said yes is because you're so big-headed about it."

"Harry's right," Tonks chimed in, reemerging from the ladder. "She thinks you could be a decent sort, but you're such a prat about asking her out that she has to say no on principle."

"What is that supposed to mean?" James asked indignantly, finally dislodging the box he was after and pushing it toward Tonks, who sighed.

"It means that there are very few girls who like to be made a spectacle of when a boy asks her out. Lily isn't one of those, so the fact that you always ask her out in the middle of a crowd makes her think that she's just a conquest, that the whole thing is a game and once she says yes, you'll lose interest."

James huffed. "This is the last one," he said idly, adding one more box to the small pile near the ladder. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Your first move would be to apologize," Harry said, "and then become her _friend_ , like you are with her roommates."

"Then, after she's realized that she's not just a game to you, you take her aside and ask her privately and politely if she'd like to accompany you to Hogsmeade or something. And if she declines, back off and keep being her friend. If she likes you—and I think she does," Tonks added with a faint smile, "though she denies it to herself—then eventually, when she's good and ready, she'll say yes."

At James's slightly lost expression, Harry and Tonks both smirked and Harry added his own commentary. "Basically, deflate your oversized ego and show her you're more than just the house Quidditch star and prankster extraordinaire. Show her the side of you that usually only the boys see."

James sighed. "Maybe you're right. And, yeah," he admitted with a faint smile but a slight blush, "she is the one who made me want to try a muggle Christmas."

Tonks grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "That's a step in the right direction," she said. With a wink, she disappeared down the ladder with two boxes, both of them spelled to be feather-light. Harry grinned at James as well and carried down two more boxes similarly enchanted, and James came after with a large trunk. When they were all on the ground, he gestured with his wand and the ladder disappeared into the ceiling and once more became an innocuous ceiling panel.

"Let's get these downstairs. This is the fun part!" James exclaimed, then he set off down the hallway with his feather-light trunk at a pace just shy of a run. Tonks and Harry exchanged an amused look and followed with their boxes.

When they arrived in the sitting room, they found a twelve-foot, real fir tree—the one they had picked out together earlier in the day—set up in the corner. The scent of pine filled the room and Harry breathed it in deeply. The smell reminded him of Hogwarts in the winter time. Around the tree were various small boxes and containers filled with string, ribbon, and tinsel, and two larger containers full of popcorn and cranberries, ready to be strung. Dorea was just finishing the charms that would keep the tree from making a mess in the room, and she greeted them with a smile. The trio deposited the boxes of lights and other decorations on the floor and then waited to be told what to do.

"One or two of you can string the popcorn and cranberries and the other can do the lights. _Just this once_ , you have permission to fly in the house _only_ to reach the higher branches to place the decorations," Dorea said. "But if you fool around, the broomsticks _will_ be taken away until the end of break and the perpetrators grounded— _literally_ —for the same period of time. Clear?"

James gulped. "Crystal, Mum. Can Harry and I do the lights?" he asked, enthusiastic now.

"You just want to fly in the house," Charlus observed with a grin. James grinned back, unabashed.

"I can do the popcorn and cranberries," Tonks offered. "I'm not much good on a broomstick," she admitted.

"I can help you, dear," Dorea offered.

"I'll sort the ornaments, then," Charlus said with a smile.

"Yes!" James exclaimed. He raised his wand and summoned his broomstick and Harry, grinning and elated at the chance to fly again, even if it wasn't very high and he couldn't do any tricks, did the same. The two boys took several minutes to untangle the light strings, then, holding one between them, they mounted their brooms and rose up to be level with the top of the tree. Then they proceeded to play a rather complicated game of tossing the light string back and forth so it fell neatly across the branches. They sent a shower of pine needles down over the trio on the ground, but they were both grinning.

After a few minutes, they started a contest. With one light string each, they competed to see who could get theirs completely wrapped around the tree first. It was the first time, perhaps, that Harry had really been able to let loose and act like a giddy teenager at Christmas, and he took full advantage of it. He even welcomed the scolding from Dorea for some of his more reckless stunts, because the sly but encouraging grins from Charlus and James's unabashed congratulations far outweighed it. And somehow, because it was Christmas and she simply enjoyed watching the boys have fun, Harry knew that Dorea wouldn't actually follow through on her threat unless they did something particularly foolish or dangerous.

When the cranberry and popcorn strings were finished, James and Harry repeated their game with the same level of enthusiasm as before. Tonks even got in on the fun and made it harder by tossing spare berries or popcorn kernels at the two airborne boys and making them dodge the tiny projectiles. Harry even spotted Charlus tossing a few at his son and started dictating the rules. If one of them got hit, they were "grounded" for five minutes, during which they had to help put the ornaments and other, non-strung decorations on the tree. James accused his father of cheating when a whole handful of popcorn hit him in the back of the head. Harry was laughing until a similar handful of cranberries hit the small of his back, thrown by Tonks.

Both grounded, James and Harry took great delight in finding the most creative ways (without using magic) to reach the higher branches to place the ornaments. Tonks joined in as well, and Harry grinned at the way she acted more like a sixteen-year-old than her real age, which was closer to twenty-two. Charlus and Dorea just laughed at the children's antics, sitting just out of the way. Occasionally a spell was needed to keep the glass balls from shattering on the floor or to keep one or more of the kids from falling into the Christmas tree as they jumped for the higher branches.

After a while the boys remembered their broomsticks. James immediately jumped back into the air, this time loaded with a bag of ornaments. Harry insisted Tonks take a turn, as it didn't require a lot of skill to fly straight up or in a gentle curve around the tree. She finally gave in, and on a borrowed broom that Charlus summoned from storage, she joined the group. Within another thirty minutes or so, the entire tree was decorated. Then the three of them played rock, parchment, and wand to see who got to put the star on top.

Harry was surprised to win, and was assured it was a highly sought-after honor to place the star by all the Potters. He took it with a sense of reverence from Charlus and carefully rose into the air on his Firebolt. At the top, Harry carefully placed the sixteen-point lighted star on the topmost branch and charmed it to stay upright. Then he tapped the star with his wand, uttering the spell to activate the lights in an undertone. An instant later, the star plus all the lights—which looked like tiny candles in the way they flickered and glowed in a warm orangey-red light—instantly lit up. At the same time, someone on the ground had turned out the light in the sitting room, and Harry descended by the light of the tree. He landed gently between James and Dorea and looked up in awe at the first Christmas tree he had ever decorated.

"I daresay it looks better than it did last year," Charlus observed.

Dorea smiled. "It was certainly more fun to decorate with a few extra hands," she said. Then she turned to James, Harry, and Tonks. "You kids did a wonderful job."

James shrugged and grinned, as did Tonks. Harry noted a faintly wistful look on her face.

"Thank you for letting us help," Harry said with an appreciative smile at the two older Potters.

"There's no need for thanks. It was a delight, watching you kids have fun," Dorea replied.

"Can't argue with that. And frankly, I approve of the mess," Charlus said with a wink, and all five of them looked at the base of the tree. The floor was littered with pine needles, scraps of tinsel and twine, and forgotten cranberries and popcorn pieces. Harry and James adopted a sheepish look while Tonks just grinned.

"It adds character. It's a testament to the effort we expended decorating the massive thing," she said, and they all laughed.

"I'm afraid I must agree. Though it _will_ be cleaned up after presents tomorrow morning," Dorea said sternly, fixing the three kids with a firm look. "But now, it's quite late. What do you say to a mug of hot cocoa before bed?"

Her query was answered with a chorus of enthusiastic agreement. Leaving the tree lit, the five of them headed to the kitchen. The three boys plus Tonks sat at the table while Dorea prepared the cocoa, and chatter was lively as they rehashed their exploits in tree-decorating. After a few minutes a mug of steaming cocoa was placed in front of each of them and Dorea took her seat at the table. The lights were turned low, the room lit by simple candlelight.

"Hey, it's snowing!" James exclaimed suddenly. Four other heads swiveled toward the window behind the sink, and sure enough, numerous fat white flakes were drifting down to land softly on the grass.

"Looks like it will be a white Christmas," Charlus commented. The others nodded in agreement.

As the cocoa was drunk, drowsiness settled in. Just as he was finishing his mug, Harry looked around at the four faces surrounding him, illuminated by simple candlelight. His surrogate sister, her hair tinted a soft blue of contentment. His young father who by now felt more like a brother, eyes riveted to the falling snow with childlike enchantment on his face. Dorea, his grandmother yet more like a mother, watching her family with a soft smile, fondness painting her lightly lined face—a family, Harry realized with a start as she glanced his way, that included both he and Tonks. And Charlus, grandfather and father and favorite uncle all wrapped into one, his eyes bright with merriment and mirth as he observed with a smile the three teenagers currently in his care.

It wasn't long before all the mugs were drained and Dorea insisted they head up to bed. "Because Godric knows you need your sleep, for how early you get up," she said to James. James, who had been looking drowsy just seconds earlier, suddenly looked wide awake.

"Because it's Christmas, Mum! You _have_ to wake up early on Christmas. It's part of the fun!"

"For you, perhaps," his mum said. She ruffled his air affectionately despite her stern expression. Harry and Tonks laughed. "Bed. Now." Dorea said firmly, though her lips twitched in amusement. James adopted a downcast expression.

"Yes, Mum," he said obediently. But Harry caught the glint in his eye. James headed for the stairs, and Harry and Tonks followed. They made it all the way to the second floor landing without a word, then James suddenly grabbed both their wrists and dragged them across the hall.

"You're staying up with me. No arguments," he said. Harry grinned and rolled his eyes when he saw that James was barely containing his excitement.

"You really are like an oversized child," Tonks commented idly, speaking Harry's thoughts exactly.

James nodded unabashedly. "That's right. I'm just a six-year-old in a sixteen-year-old's body. Come on!" he said, dragging the two into his room. "Aren't you excited, too?" he asked.

"I'm a _mature_ excited," Tonks said snootily. Harry snorted.

"Is that what you call throwing cranberries at your brother? Mature?"

"I had to get you back _somehow_ for dropping glitter in my hair," Tonks retorted. Harry grinned, because it was still there. James snickered, too.

"What did I do, then, to make you drop popcorn kernals down my shirt?" he asked, faking hurt.

"You're the one who made Harry drop the glitter."

"What? No, I didn't! I dive-bombed him _after_ that!"

Harry snickered as they bantered back and forth, though it wasn't long before he was dragged into their pillow fight, though he wasn't sure how it had started. They were up late into the night, so late that Dorea had to come in and lecture them again. Though that hardly deterred them; James just cast a silencing charm on the room once his mum had left and proceeded to tackle Harry with another pillow. Eventually, though, the late hour caught up to them and one by one they dropped to sleep, sprawled across James's bed.

Harry had just started to drift off when a huge _crash_ jerked him awake. He tripped over James in his rush to find out where it had come from—sounded like the window. James cursed at him groggily and pushed him away. Harry stumbled toward the window, and when he caught his balance he looked up—and gasped. He yanked open the window to admit a blast of cold air accompanied by a familiar form on a broomstick, but bloody, battered, and soaking wet. He flew in, then toppled off of the broom and landed with a groan. Then he started shivering violently. Harry almost instinctively cast a warming charm and summoned a blanket.

The window slammed shut and suddenly James was kneeling beside Harry. "Sirius! Sirius, can you hear me?"

"Jos, go get Dorea and Charlus," Harry said, frighteningly calm. His sister, who had joined them on the floor, nodded grimly.

"Take care of him, kid," she said, then the door shut behind her. Harry didn't miss that she had been referring to James, too.

"C'mon, Padfoot. Wake up," Harry said, shaking Sirius's shoulder. Sirius's eyes flickered open but they wouldn't focus.

"Padfoot?" James asked worriedly.

A weak half-smile formed on Sirius's face.

"I got out, Prongs. I escaped," he said. Then his eyes rolled back and he passed out.


	22. Sirius and Christmas Day

First of all, thank you all for the wonderful response from the last chapter! I know, I'm terrible for leaving you on such a cliffhanger. But how else do I get people to come back? Hehe. Don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom; I need your opinions for what happens next!

 **Chapter 23 Sirius and Christmas Day**

"Sirius!" James exclaimed. "Wake up!"

"It's okay, James. He's just unconscious. We've got to stop the bleeding before he gets worse," Harry answered tightly. It was taking all his Occlumency practice to contain his own panic.

"Bleeding—?" James began, then he gasped when he saw the gash on Sirius's arm. Harry nodded grimly and recast his warming charm with twice the power as before.

"Come on, help me." Harry did his best not to sound desperate. He trained his wand on a deep gash on Sirius's right arm while James worked on the other visible cuts. It was just as well—James's hands were shaking and Harry wasn't sure he could handle the more serious injuries. From the warm dampness on the back of Sirius's shirt, Harry was certain he'd been hurt there, too.

"I think his ribs are broken," James said worriedly after healing a cut across his chest. "He looks terrible."

"Could you make sure he doesn't move while I fix it?"

James nodded and held Sirius by the shoulders. He was still unconscious, but it couldn't hurt to be safe. Harry took a deep breath and made sure his hands were steady, then he cast the appropriate spell. "Hopefully your parents don't get mad at us for using underage magic," Harry quipped, trying to lift the mood. James didn't respond. His lips were pressed together tightly and his jaw was stiff.

After a quick diagnostic charm that made both him and James blanche at the results, Harry healed three other broken bones—another rib, the same arm he'd healed the gash on, and an ankle. Well, the last was actually just a sprain, but still.

"Help me roll him over," Harry said. "His back is hurt, too."

James's eyes widened, but he complied. Harry tore away Sirius's ruined shirt to reveal a mass of bloody gashes crisscrossing his skin. James sucked in a breath as Harry stared in horror. It was a hundred times worse than anything the Dursleys had ever done to him.

"Not again," James whispered, his voice cracking. Harry didn't answer, and without another word they both started in on getting the sluggish bleeding to stop.

The door burst open and James's parents rushed in, followed by Tonks. "What's happened?" Dorea asked frantically. James explained, his voice tight with suppressed worry and growing anger while Harry continued to work on Sirius's injuries. Harry pressed his lips together as he mentally cursed that bitch Walburga and dark magic and bigots and closed-minded people in general. The most he could do was get the cuts to scab over.

"Let's get him onto the bed." Charlus's voice came from beside Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded and got to his feet, then he and Charlus lifted Sirius's unconscious form onto the bed. Tonks had already pulled back the sheets, and Dorea was waiting with her wand out.

"What have you done so far?" she asked as she began a diagnosic spell. It was much more in-depth than the one Harry had cast before.

Harry explained, his voice eerily calm. Tonks's hand found his shoulder and squeezed gently in reassurance.

"Do you do this often?" Charlus quipped above his wife's angry muttering. Dorea threw him a look that clearly said, "now is not the time." Harry, however, cracked a weak smile.

"You'd be surprised. Though usually, it's myself I'm healing," he replied.

"Got it in one," Tonks muttered. Harry shrugged sheepishly and even James managed a faint smile. Suddenly Dorea sucked in a breath.

"Charlus, fetch me the potion for nerve damage." Charlus went, utterly serious.

"N- _nerve damage_?" James sputtered.

"He was _tortured_?" Harry exclaimed, horrified.

"Are you _bloody_ kidding me?" James's fists clenched. "When I get my hands on that bitch she'll wish she was never born," he growled. Dorea pursed her lips but did not reprimand him for his language.

Charlus presently returned with the potion and Dorea spelled it into Sirius's stomach. James's fists were still clenched and Harry had gone utterly still. Tonks put a hand on each of their shoulders, but her grip was unnecessarily tight.

Dorea muttered something Harry was sure they weren't meant to hear, because it was in no way ladylike, then conjured a damp cloth and Summoned a jar of dittany salve. James immediately took the cloth and began dabbing the dried blood from Sirius's back, his hands a lot gentler than his face suggested. Instead of looking better with the blood gone, though, they could now see the full extent of the horror Walburga Black had inflicted upon her eldest son.

James then backed away, Vanishing the bloody cloth without an incantation but with a muttered curse. Harry took the dittany salve and began to massage it into the weeping scabs. He bit his lip and tightened down on his Occlumency, keeping his hands steady. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought wryly, _Thank goodness for Occlumency_. Because even though he was screaming and raging inside at Sirius's _bitch_ of a mother, he didn't hurt Sirius unnecessarily because his hands were shaking.

"How bad is he? Really?" James asked softly. There was a vulnerability in his voice that Harry had never heard before, and if anything it frightened him even more. Dorea answered with cool professionalism, though with a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. She spoke softly, and Harry barely listened. He already knew most of it from his own diagnostic spell and the injuries he'd healed already. But the words "torture curse," "hypothermia" and "almost too late" resounded like an iron bell in Harry's mind. His hands started trembling. It took all his control to keep them steady until he'd finished. Then his sister's arms wrapped around him from behind and James's hand closed around his forearm.

"I think we've done all we can for now," Charlus said gently. He pulled the blanket up over Sirius's battered form, then squeezed the boys' shoulders.

"It was a good call with the warming charm," Dorea said quietly. "But he needs consistent warmth. I doubt you have the energy to keep that charm up all night," she said to Harry, who nodded. He felt drained, physically and emotionally, and he wasn't sure he could even manage a _lumos_ at the moment. "Stay beside him," she said to the boys. James and Harry both nodded again.

"And I'll keep an eye on them," Tonks said, her arm tightening around Harry and on James's shoulder.

"Good night, then. And Jamie, don't you dare wake him up," Dorea said sternly. "Christmas can wait an hour or two while Sirius recovers."

James smiled sheepishly. "I won't, Mum."

"Good," she said. She kissed James atop the head, then Harry and Tonks as well. Charlus ruffled their hair—for all three of them—then followed his wife out the door and closed it gently behind him.

In a detached silence, James and Harry washed their hands of blood and greasy healing salve. Then they crawled under the covers on either side of Sirius, using their body heat to keep him warm—because his skin was still cold to the touch. Thankfully, Sirius was now snoring lightly, no longer unconscious but asleep. Tonks pulled the quilt up over the boys, then set up her own bed on the floor.

Many long minutes passed in silence, and Harry was certain the other two had fallen asleep. He was equally certain he wouldn't be sleeping much at all that night, no matter how exhausted he felt.

Suddenly a hand closed around his wrist, and Harry looked over to where James lay. His eyes were oddly bright. "He'll be okay. I know it," he said, his voice cracking. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

Harry nodded, keeping a tight lid on his own emotions as he squeezed James's hand back. He promised himself he'd be strong, if not for his own sake then for Sirius's and James's, whose ragged breathing cut through the silence even though it was soft.

A long time passed and Harry remained awake, watching for any change in Sirius's condition. His body was exhausted, but his mind would not let him rest.

"Harry?" James's quiet voice broke through Harry's thoughts. Harry wasn't especially surprised that the other boy was still awake.

"Yeah?" He ignored the hoarseness of his own voice.

"He… _is_ going to be okay…right?"

"His body will heal," Harry began. "But aside from that…I don't know."

There was a faint rustling noise. Harry reached up for the top of the pillow, above Sirius's head, and found James's hand again, found that it was trembling. Harry squeezed tightly, and James squeezed back. His grip was painful, but Harry didn't complain.

"I'm going to kill her. I swear I will." His voice was unsteady.

"Right after I give her a piece of my mind," Harry growled in reply. "And a taste of her own medicine."

A long silence followed that could have lasted hours or only seconds.

"I'm scared for him," James whispered.

"Me, too."

"I'm scared…"

Harry squeezed James's hand. "Me, too."

Finally, an hour or two before dawn, they both began to drift into a fitful sleep.

"Some Christmas…"

"Yeah…"

Harry woke when his pillow moved, and a gasp of pain reached his ears.

"Sirius! Are you okay?" James said frantically, though groggily.

"Ow," Sirius moaned in reply, curling into the fetal position. Harry immediately (and wandlessly) summoned the jar of dittany and began massaging it into the scabs on Sirius's bare back. He tried not to wince at the sight. Somehow he kept his hands steady.

"Better?" he asked.

"Some," Sirius answered hoarsely. A hand touched Harry's shoulder, and he turned to see Tonks smiling at him, glad for him that Sirius was awake and feeling a little better.

"I'll tell Dorea and Charlus that he's awake," she said. She squeezed Harry's shoulder and gave James a reassuring smile.

"Get some more salve, too; this one's almost gone," Harry added.

"And breakfast," James added, grinning.

"Got it. Though I guess festivities will have to wait a little while," Tonks added, smirking at James. Harry grinned, too.

"Can _James_ wait? The way he was last night, it seemed like Christmas couldn't come fast enough." Now that Sirius was awake and mostly okay, he and James had recovered their usual good mood and Harry was starting to feel the excitement of his first Christmas with his own family by blood.

"Christmas?" Sirius mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Yes, Christmas," James replied as Tonks left. "It's Christmas morning. But our uninvited—"

"But always welcome—" Harry cut in.

"—guest was our first priority," James finished.

Sirius smiled tiredly. "Glad I'm still special enough to warrant special treatment," he murmured, his eyes closing. Before he could fall asleep again, though, Harry smelled bacon and sausage. He looked over toward the open door and saw James's parents and Tonks entering, Dorea carrying a breakfast tray. Sirius was struggling to sit, wide awake and greedily eying the bacon. Harry and James both helped, supporting him on either side after he tried to lean against the headboard and flinched away with a hiss of pain.

"We're glad to see you awake, Sirius," Dorea said with a warm smile.

"Thanks for fixing me up," Sirius replied sheepishly.

"Actually, Harry and James did most of the healing before we even knew you were here," Charlus answered with a smile. "They started on you almost as soon as you arrived, and sent Joselyn to fetch us. In fact, if it weren't for them, you could very well be much worse off than you are."

"What—what were all my injuries then?" Sirius asked, and Harry felt his good mood vanish in an instant as he remembered how terrible Sirius had looked the night before.

"You were pretty bad off," he began quietly, unable to look at Sirius because he could still see the cuts on his skin, even if they were scabs now. "Your back was all bloody and _torn_ , you had three broken ribs and a broken wrist, your arm was cut nearly to the bone—" Harry broke off, looking away again. If he continued, he might lose his handle on his emotions.

"And all of it had been caused by dark magic. Dittany and healing salve can only go so far with those kinds of injuries," James continued, subdued now.

"And that doesn't even take into consideration that you showed signs of the Cruciatus curse _and_ you were right on the verge of hypothermia," Tonks finished matter-of-factly.

"That's why we slept next to you like this," Harry explained sheepishly, gesturing to his bare chest. James smirked and flexed, showing off his bare chest as well. "To warm you up faster."

"Otherwise I would have no desire to see my brother's scrawny stomach and hairless chest," Tonks quipped, poking Harry in the chest. He shoved her away, scowling playfully, and she grinned back, unapologetic.

"If you're up for it, we can do Christmas as soon as you're finished eating," Charlus said.

"Are there presents for me?" Sirius asked cheekily. James nudged his shoulder.

"You probably have more than the rest of us combined," he replied.

"So hurry up and eat so we can open them," Harry said, grinning. "And if you don't eat it all, then I will." He stole a sausage off Sirius's plate and bit it in half, smirking. "Mmm, these are great, Dorea."

"Why, thank you, Harry," Dorea said with a smile.

"If I weren't hurt…" Sirius growled, but Harry just laughed. They chatted about nothing while the three boys ate off Sirius's tray, and Tonks snatched a few pieces of bacon as well. She winked at Harry and he smirked back.

After a little while, the food was gone, Sirius was lucid and snarky as ever and James couldn't wait any longer. So Harry helped Sirius to his feet and James tossed him a shirt before pulling one on himself. Harry pulled his shirt back on as well and, supporting Sirius between them, he and James left the room with Tonks just behind them.

Harry couldn't help but stop in the doorway to the sitting room when he saw the tree. It was lit with flickering colored candlelight, the magnificent star as bright as an overpowered _lumos_ charm. The mess of pine needles that had been left after decorating the tree, though, was now covered by piles of brightly colored packages. A fire was already burning in the hearth and something smelled like gingerbread.

"Oy, move it, Russet! I want to see my presents!" Sirius protested, tugging at Harry's arm.

"What if I don't want to?" Harry replied, smirking.

"Then I'll put a spell on you so you can't move anyway, and James will help me," Sirius retorted.

Harry grinned and rolled his eyes. "Relax, Padfoot." He led the way toward the tree, where James had already run ahead and was sorting packages.

"Happy Christmas, everyone," Dorea's voice came from behind them. They all turned and returned the greeting in chorus.

"Well, we might as well get started before James unwraps everyone else's gifts as well," Charlus said with a chuckle. James grinned, not even trying to deny it.

"Here's your first one, Padfoot," he said, tossing a package to Sirius. He grinned and caught it deftly, even considering he was using his off hand. "And yours, Harry." Harry caught the square-shaped package with a seeker's reflexes, smirking at James's expression—he had clearly mis-thrown it, hoping Harry would drop it.

"Seeker, remember?" he said, grinning. "Now here's yours." Harry tossed a small wrapped box toward James, who caught it with a raised eyebrow.

"This is ridiculously light. You're not pranking me with an empty box, are you?"

"Why would you ever accuse me of something like that?" Harry responded. He couldn't quite hide his smile.

"All right. Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" "Me!" James and Sirius exclaimed in unison. They glared at each other and engaged in a fierce battle of rock, parchment, and wand. After three ties, Sirius finally won. He cheered, then tore into his first package, from Dorea. It was a hand-knit jumper in Gryffindor colors and a box of homemade fudge. After a round of thanks, James opened the box from Harry.

He had just barely finished opening the top of the box when a bright, golden, winged ball the size of a walnut zoomed out and toward the ceiling in a bid for freedom. James caught it from pure reflex, then gave Harry another puzzled look.

"I'm a chaser."

"Yeah, but you keep playing with a snitch, and you're reserve seeker. Now you can quit nicking the one from the storage shed," Harry said with a grin. "And you'd better practice hard, because I challenge you to a seeker's match. But I suggest you practice a lot first, because everyone who's seen me play has said I'm the best seeker they've ever seen."

James eyed him critically. "Well, you are pretty handy with a broom. Very well. I accept. Once the snow melts, we'll have a match. Loser…well, I'll think of some kind of penalty."

"Deal," Harry said with a grin. Tonks grinned, clearly already thinking up penalties for James (because Harry would definitely win).

"Who's next, then?" Charlus asked.

"Me!" Tonks said with a smile, and she accepted the package Dorea handed to her. She unwrapped a new wand holster from Harry, and gave him an inquiring look.

Harry shrugged. "Yours is getting old and worn out. And considering how much you use your wand on me, I figured you could use a more dependable holster," he said with a smile. "You know, just in case your wandwork isn't good enough," he added. Tonks flicked her wand and made Harry's pajamas green, red, and silver. He retaliated by turning her hair gold, then Dorea put a stop to it and the gift opening resumed.

Amidst laughter, subtle prank spells that left all of them painted in festive colors (James got tinsel for hair), and James's new practice snitch zooming around their heads, all the packages were opened. The sitting room looked like a Christmas tornado had swept through, with all the colored wrapping paper and packaging strewn around, not to mention the sweet wrappers. But Harry was very content with his haul: a forest green sweater and homemade fudge from Dorea, a box of prank supplies from Sirius (with the condition that he use none of them on Sirius himself), a compilation of the Marauders' best pranks from James ("I used a dicta-quill," he said sheepishly. "I was hardly going to write all twenty pages by hand."), a book on advanced Occlumency from Tonks, though disguised to look like a book of pranks, and an enchanted Swiss army knife from Charlus ("That's the same one I got last year!" James exclaimed in pride).

The others received similar gifts, though Harry was beginning to regret the camera he'd given Sirius. It worked around magic, but only minutes after Sirius had opened it, Harry found himself almost constantly blinking as the flash went off. He had horrible flash-backs to his second year and being followed around by Colin Creevy and his camera all the time. Not even threatening to take back the gift made Sirius stop, though he did calm down after Dorea scolded him lightly (and Harry started sending a wandless stinging hex at his hand every time the camera went off). James got a new broomstick from his parents and was eager to try it out. Dorea made them all eat breakfast first before going off to play, though.

After eating breakfast, James went outside to try out his broomstick. He'd tried to convince Harry to come with him, but Harry refused, saying that James was crazy for going out when it was so cold. Tonks had vanished upstairs to take a nap, glaring playfully at the boys as if it were their fault the previous night had been so crazy. Sirius fell asleep on the sofa by the fire and no one wanted to bother him since it was clear he was still exhausted from his ordeal. Dorea busied herself cleaning up breakfast and getting started on Christmas dinner, which left Harry and Charlus in the sitting room.

Harry helped Charlus clean up the wrapping paper and tidy up the room. It didn't take long, since they either Vanished or burned the Christmas morning debris. They stacked the presents that hadn't been put away yet neatly out of the way, then Harry took the time to better inspect his own gifts. After thumbing through the few books he'd gotten, he retrieved the Swiss army knife.

It looked like an ordinary pocket knife, though of a better quality than the ones he'd seen before. But Harry could practically feel the magic of the enchantments oozing off the many blades, and there were runes engraved on the wooden sides, mostly for strength and durability.

"I carved those myself," Charlus said proudly, sitting beside Harry on the other sofa.

"Really?"

"Really. I'm not the best at coming up with my own sequences, but I've always been good at carving."

"What do they all do? I only recognize a few of them," Harry said.

Charlus smiled in a way reminiscent of James when he got passionate about his pranks, and he went on to explain all the different runes, and the function of each blade and tool on the knife. Harry listened eagerly, already planning all the different ways he could put it to use.

"And this one," Charlus indicated the blade that looked like a handheld saw, "will open any lock, so long as it isn't warded. Depending on the ward, it will either not work, or melt into a useless mess of twisted metal—not even runes can prevent that."

Harry nodded, then suddenly he flashed back to the end of his fifth year, and the knife his godfather had given him, and how he'd used it to try and break into Umbridge's office, before the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries. His fingers tightened around the handle of the knife, his eyes burning.

"-ry? Harry?" Charlus's voice broke through the fog around Harry's mind.

"Huh?" Harry looked up, and Charlus's eyes widened. His hand, which had been pointing at the knife, moved to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"I…are you all right, son?"

Harry's heart clenched at being called "son." He didn't think anyone had ever called him that before, and certainly not with concern in their voice. "I'm fine," Harry replied, but his voice cracked.

Charlus looked doubtful, but he didn't speak. Instead he held out a handkerchief. Harry looked at it with confusion, then looked up at Charlus. With a slight smile that made his eyes crinkle, Charlus raised the handkerchief to Harry's face and wiped at a spot of moisture on his cheek, and suddenly Harry understood. His face flushed red in embarrassment and he looked away, taking the handkerchief and swiping it under his eyes. Charlus squeezed his shoulder gently.

"If you'd like to talk, I'm here to listen, son."

Harry felt his heart squeeze again and he swallowed hard before words came unbidden to his lips. "My…my godfather gave me a knife like that last year. I used it on a warded door, and it did just that. Melted into a twisted, useless piece of metal. It was the…the last gift he gave me before…" Harry trailed off, unable to say it. "And now it's useless." His voice broke. Harry didn't get it; he'd thought he was over his godfather's—Sirius's—death, but evidently it was the type of wound that never really went away.

Charlus squeezed his shoulder again and Harry found himself leaning into the older man's side, trying not to cry. Charlus adjusted his arm so that it rested across Harry's shoulders, and Harry's head somehow came to rest on Charlus's shoulder. Suddenly the exhaustion from the previous night caught up to him. Harry stifled a yawn, and moments later he was fast asleep, his fingers wrapped tightly around the knife—his first gift from his grandfather.

When Dorea came into the sitting room some time later to tell everyone to get ready for dinner, she smiled at the sight that greeted her. Her husband had fallen asleep with his head tilted back, resting on the back of the sofa. One arm was wrapped around Harry, who was just as asleep leaning comfortably into Charlus's side. Sirius was still sleeping on the chair in the corner as well, but almost upside-down. Hs head was hanging off the cushion, his dark hair brushing the floor, and his legs were draped over the arm. James was sitting against the same chair with his broomstick on the floor beside him, his head leaning against Sirius's shoulder, also fast asleep.

Just a moment later, Tonks appeared in the doorway, but stopped short just like Dorea had at the scene.

"A perfect sight for Christmas day. Don't you think so, Joselyn?" Dorea asked, smiling.

"Definitely. It must be recorded for posterity's sake," she added. She wordlessly summoned her camera and snapped a picture of James and Sirius, snickering to herself. Then, with a soft smile, she took a picture of Harry and Charlus.

"I hate to wake them, but dinner will get cold."

"I'll wake my brother and Charlus; you can wake the other boys," Tonks said. Harry would be slightly less embarrassed if she were the one to wake him. Dorea nodded her agreement and crossed the room, gently calling their names. Tonks touched Harry's shoulder and shook gently.

"Huh?" Harry asked groggily. Tonks couldn't help but grin at his sleepy expression.

"Time for Christmas dinner, kid," she said. "I bet you're starving, not having eaten anything but sweets all day."

"Right," Harry said. He sat up straight, then felt Charlus's arm fall off of him. He glanced over in surprise, then he felt a flush of embarrassment, especially as the older man woke and gave him a soft smile.

"Is that your famous ham, Dorea?" Charlus asked, raising his voice slightly to carry across the room. "It certainly smells delicious."

"I'm starved," James complained. He was awake now and on his feet, flexing his sore muscles.

"You can't be as hungry as I am, Prongs," Sirius retorted. He rolled his neck from side to side, grimacing, and Tonks grinned.

"Quite the sleeping position you've got, Sirius. I'm glad I got a picture of it; I'd hate to let a moment like that go unrecorded," she said teasingly.

"He did fall asleep upside-down," Harry said matter-of-factly, already over the embarrassment of being found sleeping beside Charlus, a man who should still be a virtual stranger to him despite a week in his home.

"Well, why don't we go eat then?" Dorea suggested with a smile. Everyone cheered, including Charlus, and followed Dorea into the dining room.

Christmas dinner was a rowdy affair. Between rehashing the gifts they'd received, exclaiming over Dorea's cooking, and James regaling the virtues of his new broom, in between the clanking of cutlery and a food fight Dorea and Harry barely managed to stop before it actually got started, there was never a dull moment. Once everyone had eaten all they were capable of eating, they made room for dessert, which consisted of a variety of pies and puddings and, of course, treacle tart. Finally, the food was cleared away and the group moved into the sitting room once again, where they spent a (mostly) quiet evening playing board games, exploding snap, and chess.

As the evening drew on, the teenagers—including Tonks—began to drift off. Dorea good-naturedly sent them off to bed once it was sufficiently late.

"Remember, your friends are coming tomorrow; you won't want to be tired for them," she said with a smile. James brightened and was less reluctant to go to bed after that. Sirius, Harry, and Tonks followed him up the stairs. Sirius slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, leaning on him as if he were too tired to keep himself upright. Harry rolled his eyes and obligingly supported Sirius up the stairs. When they reached the landing, Sirius disappeared into his room across the hall from Harry's and Tonks's rooms with a cheery "good night!" Just before he shut the door, though, the moonlight from the skylight over the stairs caught his face—Sirius looked more than just tired; he looked pale and drawn. And apprehensive.

Harry got ready for bed wondering at how on earth he'd managed to forget Sirius's unconventional appearance the previous night, and how awful he'd looked, and how scared Harry had been. He was so preoccupied, he almost missed the handful of packages on his bed, obviously delivered sometime during the day.

Curiosity temporarily won over his worries, and Harry eagerly opened them. He'd received an obscure potions textbook with alternative recipes and brewing techniques for common and even some not-so-common potions from Severus. It was clearly secondhand, but still in good condition, and Severus had even included a few personal notes. It was odd for Harry to receive a Christmas gift from the younger version of the professor who hated him most in his own time, but he sincerely appreciated the thought his friend had put into the gift.

He also got a leather band with a few basic runes carved into it from Regulus, with a note explaining that he'd carved the runes himself, and to say thank you for the tutoring. Harry wondered just how much Regulus had had to swallow his pride in order to send it, and smiled—he was beginning to see the other boy like a younger brother. He'd also gotten a few other miscellaneous gifts from the Gryffindor girls—a Defense book from Lily, a quill set and a jar of color-changing ink from Alice, a box of Honeydukes sweets from Mary, and, perhaps the most surprising, a small pranking kit from Marlene with a note virtually ordering him to use it on James and Sirius.

Harry smiled and put those gifts with the rest, then finished getting ready for bed. As he did, though, he remembered Sirius's expression just before entering his room, and the worry started all over again. Even after he laid down, even considering how tired he was, it was difficult for Harry to fall asleep. Now that he'd been reminded, he couldn't forget again. He kept remembering how awful Sirius had looked when he staggered in through the window on his broom, the cuts on his back that couldn't possibly have healed yet, despite Sirius acting most of the day like nothing had happened.

Just when Harry was finally beginning to drift off, his bedroom door banged open. Harry jerked upright to see James silhouetted in the faint light from the hallway, a panicked look on his face.

"Sirius, he—I don't know, he—I think it's a nightmare, but…he—he won't—I can't wake him up!" Harry's eyes widened and he immediately threw off the covers to follow James into Sirius's room. Sure enough, the boy was shaking violently, pleading wordlessly or in fractured sentences.

"I've tried shaking him and calling his name. I don't want to dump water on him because he's still recovering from last night. But I—I don't know what to do. He's never been this bad before." James bit his lip worriedly.

"Sirius. Sirius, wake up," Harry said, shaking Sirius's shoulder gently. He flinched and said something Harry couldn't make out. "Padfoot, wake up. It's just a dream," Harry said more urgently. Sirius flinched again, but less violently. Harry gave James a worried look. James just shrugged helplessly in response.

"C'mon, Pads. Wake up for me," James said, shaking Sirius's shoulder again.

"C'mon, Padfoot," Harry murmured, gripping Sirius's shoulder. "Wake up. It's just a dream."

"You're okay, Siri. You're safe," James added, his voice quivering with worry. "You're at my house with Harry—with Russet. We just had an awesome Christmas. Moony and Wormtail are coming tomorrow."

"You gotta be awake to cause mischief, Padfoot." Harry forced a smile, trying to shut out Sirius's cries. "C'mon." On impulse, Harry started to pull his fingers through Sirius's hair, the way Tonks sometimes did when Harry was upset. James took his cue from Harry and started gently rubbing Sirius's upper back, where there weren't as many unhealed cuts. Both of them kept a steady stream of virtual nonsense, struggling to keep their voices calm.

Gradually, almost agonizingly slow, Sirius's groans and pleas began to quiet and his violent shaking slowed and finally stopped.

"You awake now, Siri?" James asked softly. Sirius nodded stiffly into his pillow, and Harry gripped his shoulder.

"You all right?" he asked, sitting on the bed beside Sirius. James did the same on his other side. Sirius nodded stiffly again, but didn't raise his head. James and Harry exchanged a look in the darkness, then they both laid down beside Sirius. Long moments passed in silence, but finally all three of them fell asleep again.

What felt like only moments later, Harry woke suddenly, but he couldn't figure out why. Aside from James's quiet snores from Sirius's other side, the room was quiet. Then he heard it—a quiet moan. It was so soft Harry wasn't sure he'd heard it at all, but then it came again, a little louder. Then he noticed that Sirius was tense, far too tense for someone to supposedly be sleeping peacefully. Harry lightly touched Sirius's shoulder, and he flinched violently. James's snoring stopped suddenly, then began again. Harry wanted to avoid waking him if possible.

"Sirius, wake up," he whispered harshly. Sirius gave an almost inaudible whimper in response, and Harry froze—Sirius should _never_ make that kind of pained, tortured sound. "Padfoot, wake up! It's just a dream," Harry hissed. Sirius stirred a little, but let out another moan. Like he was in pain. "Padfoot!" Harry repeated, as loud as he dared. Sirius groaned a little, then turned his head and opened his eyes.

"H-Harrison?" he asked groggily.

"Yeah, it's me, mate. You okay?" Harry replied quietly. Sirius nodded robotically, but a tear slipped down his cheek. He turned back to hide his face in the pillow, his body tensed again. But Sirius's hand found Harry's and he squeezed hard, painfully. Though Sirius didn't make a sound, there was a vulnerability there that Harry had never seen before. It was alarming, because he was usually so good at keeping up appearances. Harry squeezed back, his throat tight. "What did they do to you, Siri?" he whispered.

Predictably, there was no response, and before long Sirius had fallen asleep again, and Harry did, too. The next day, Sirius was completely back to normal. Not even James knew about the second nightmare, and it was clear from the meaningful look he'd gotten that Harry was meant to keep it that way. But that brief moment of vulnerability remained fixed in Harry's mind for a long time afterward.

A/N: What do you want? Do y'all want some more Marauder shenanigans? Or should I skim over the rest of their break and just send them back to Hogwarts?


	23. A Marauder's New Year

Hello again everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to get this update up. A bunch of you wanted more Marauder shenanigans, so you get one last hurrah before they go back to Hogwarts in the next chapter. Don't forget to review!

 **Chapter 24: A Marauder's New Year**

"When are they going to get here? They're late!" James complained. Harry rolled his eyes.

"You've been waiting here for twenty minutes. Of course it seems like they're late. But there are still ten minutes before they're due to arrive," he explained. They were waiting in the sitting room by the fireplace, and James wouldn't look away from the hearth. He seemed convinced that if he didn't see Remus and Peter arrive, they wouldn't ever come. Sirius snickered.

"You know Prongs. He's always been the impatient one. You may as well give up."

"Or you could go help your mum cook supper," Tonks said reasonably, smirking.

"That's a bad idea. He'll burn it, and then we'll starve," Sirius pointed out. James opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by a rush of green flames in the hearth. He let out a startled exclamation and then cheered as Remus stumbled out of the fireplace.

"Moony!" James exclaimed, rushing forward to greet him. Remus, grinning, shoved his duffel bag at James, making him grunt.

"Thank Godric you're here," Sirius breathed in relief.

"Yeah. James was driving us all crazy with his whining," Harry agreed. "I'm about burnt out being the mediator between these two," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, we never asked you to be in the first place," Sirius said petulantly, and James nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It's more fun when there is no mediator."

"Sure it is. And then you two turn everything into chaos," Tonks retorted. Just then the fire turned green again and out stumbled Peter. He was so off-balance that he would have fallen to the floor if Harry and Remus hadn't been close enough to grab his arms.

"Ow," he grunted. "Thanks, guys."

"Pete! You made it!" James exclaimed, completely forgetting their earlier conversation.

"Now the party can really get started!" Sirius pumped his fist in the air (and poorly disguised a wince when he brought it back down). Harry, Remus, and Tonks exchanged a long-suffering look.

"Heaven help us," Remus muttered, but his lips twitched toward a smile.

"So…what are we going to do?" Peter asked. Sirius opened his mouth, then he and James exchanged an uncomfortable look. Harry grinned.

"Looks like James only planned as far as your arrival," he said.

"There's some fresh snow outside. At least that way you won't destroy the house," Tonks suggested.

"Snowball fight?" Sirius asked, his eyes glinting with mischief. James and Harry gave him a slightly doubtful look—his injuries hadn't completely healed yet, and they didn't want to risk him getting sick or hurt further.

Remus shrugged. "I'm down. And I'll destroy you all," he added with a smirk. Peter grinned and started for the back door, followed by Remus.

"Are you sure?" James muttered to Sirius. Sirius glared at him and followed the other two. James and Harry exchanged a look, silently promising between them to keep an eye on him, then they followed.

"You coming?" Harry called back to Tonks.

She hesitated, then shrugged. "Hell, why not. Someone's got to keep you five in line." Then she grinned. "But I'll beat you again." Then she hurried ahead to claim the best position out in the yard. Harry grinned and hurried after her.

Hours later, the group tromped back inside. Everyone was soaking wet and their cheeks were flushed from the cold. Snow was caked onto their boots and melted in their hair, and in James's case filled the hood of his coat (courtesy of a surprise attack by Remus). Outside the snow was torn up and scattered and built into forts and hideouts, and in some places you could even see the dead grass beneath it all. It looked like a warzone. And, of course, it had been.

"You're a _cheater_ , Wormtail. A _cheater_!" Sirius complained.

"Since when was using the resources at your disposal cheating?" Peter retorted, his eyes glinting with mirth.

"It was sort of unfair, though," Remus said mildly. "You're the only one whose form is small enough to get away with it."

"That's not my fault," Peter answered. "And why are you complaining? You were on my side."

Remus shrugged. "I just don't want the others thinking I condone cheating, even when it does result in a win for me."

"But you _do_ condone cheating, Moony," James cut in.

"You wrote half our essays last term," Sirius finished.

"That's not cheating. You know the material; you two just can't write an essay to save your life."

"Can too," James whined. "Harry, make him stop. He's being mean."

Harry couldn't help a smile. "Moony, you're being mean," he said to Remus. Remus shrugged, smirking unrepentantly. Harry turned to James. "Sorry, James. I can't make him stop."

"Maybe I can," Sirius volunteered innocently. They all raised an eyebrow at him. Sirius smirked, then, quick as a whip, he cast a harmless color-change charm on Remus, turning him a garish yellow.

"Oh, now you're asking for it," Remus said, his eyes glinting with the challenge. He readied his own wand. Harry and Tonks exchanged a look, and together and with help from Peter they pushed Remus and Sirius back outside.

"Don't get my mum angry at you, okay?" James said nervously. "Because then she'll get angry with me." Remus and Sirius nodded absently, both of them intent on the other.

"Let's leave them to battle it out while we watch through the kitchen window with some hot chocolate," Tonks said with a grin. The others agreed and headed into the kitchen. Dorea, who was finishing up the dinner preparations, already had mugs of steaming cocoa waiting for them and they all gave her a grateful smile. Then they picked seats around the kitchen, out of Dorea's way, and sat down to watch the show. Remus and Sirius were going at it, colorful spells flying back and forth so quickly it was like watching a light show. Every now and then a stray spell would fly toward the window, making them all jump.

After a little while, the two tired themselves out. There was no clear victor; both Remus and Sirius were spattered with varying colors, sporting odd clothing and appendages. Sirius couldn't stop hiccoughing, and Remus had been jinxed to sing everything he tried to say. They were also soaking wet again, having been diving into the snow to avoid the other's hexes. Sirius was obviously sore, though he was trying ot hide it. Remus was trying to figure out why.

"All right, boys. Enough fun for now," Dorea said with a smile. "James, would you fetch your father and tell him supper is ready?" James nodded and left the room. "Harry, Peter, would you help set the table and put the food out?" The two nodded and did so. "Remus, Sirius, go get yourselves cleaned up and dried off. Joselyn, would you mind helping me clean up in here a bit?"

"Sure, Dorea," Tonks agreed. Sirius and Remus nodded and headed upstairs, leaving their shoes and wet outer clothing by the back door.

Ten minutes later, everyone—including Charlus—had gathered again in the dining room. Harry and Peter brought out the last few dishes with Dorea on their heels with the main course, then they all took their seats around the table. The five boys and Tonks immediately dug in. They were all famished from the physical exertion of the day. The conversation was lively and lighthearted, and before they knew it all the food was gone, and so was most of the dessert. Dorea enlisted everyone's help in cleaning up, and with eight of them working together it was done quickly.

Dorea forbade them from going back outside, despite James and Sirius begging. But it was snowing again and much colder, so she sent all the boys into the sitting room to play games. They also exchanged the gifts they'd deliberately kept until now, all of them wanting to be able to see the reactions upon opening the packages. Harry received a hollow book from Remus with some of Harry's favorite chocolates inside—the ones that he stockpiled and tried to hide, but that Sirius and James always found and tried to steal. There was a note on it not to open it all the way in company, so everyone else thought he'd just gotten a copy of the muggle fiction book _The Lord of the Rings_ , which Harry had read in primary school while hiding in the library from Dudley and his gang. From Peter, Harry got a special edition of _One Thousand and One Herbs and Fungi_ with potions uses listed alongside the basic properties of each plant. James and Sirius gagged as Harry gave Peter a huge thank-you.

The other gifts exchanged were a wide range from prank supplies to textbooks to sweets and basic supplies. By the time they'd exchanged all their gifts and played a few rounds of exploding snap and gobstones, it was late and they were all exhausted, so they headed up to bed.

The following week leading up to New Year's Eve went much the same. The Marauders would raise chaos, occasionally with Tonks's help, be scolded kindly by Dorea (and Charlus, once, not so kindly, after they rigged his office to spray diluted stinksnap at anyone who tried to open the door from either side, and then dump confetti on said person once they crossed the threshold. Harry claimed to have no knowledge of the prank, but it was obviously his idea). Then in the evening they'd all be tired from running amok throughout the day, so they'd play simple games until they started falling asleep and then they went up to bed.

On New Year's Eve day, however, they were very busy. They even got Tonks to join in, and she only pretended to be reluctant. Harry could tell that she was thrilled to have the chance to act like an irresponsible teenager again, even if it was just for the break.

"So, we set the fireworks here, and the confetti here—we are charming it to do what we made it do on Halloween, right?" James asked.

"Definitely."

"Make sure it's the right color this time, please," Remus said. "We forgot to do that in our prank before break. Remind me why confetti is always pink?"

"That—I can't answer. But we won't forget to change the colors this time. We wanted silver, black, and gold, right?"

"Right. And muggles do this thing where they rig a net of balloons on the ceiling and let it down at just the right moment. I think that would be fun," Harry offered.

"Why are you giving them more potentially disasterous ideas, Harry?" Tonks asked with false exasperation.

"They're just balloons," Harry protested.

"This time," Remus muttered, but he was clearly excited.

"I like that idea," Peter put in.

"Ooh, can we make them water bombs? _Please_?" Sirius begged.

"NO!" Harry, Remus, and Tonks said in unison. "This is messy enough as it is," Harry added firmly.

"Besides, mum will kill me if we wreck the room. She hates it when I run through the house with wet shoes; she'll murder me if we deliberately dump water everywhere."

Sirius pouted. "Fine."

Peter smiled and patted Sirius on the shoulder. "It's okay, Padfoot. At least we have fireworks."

Sirius brightened after that, and the planning resumed in earnest.

"And you're _sure_ your mum won't find out about this until we set it off?" Harry said. This was the biggest prank they'd pulled inside the house, and Dorea was never especially happy when she found out they were planning more mischief.

"I can't guarantee it; she has a knack for spotting things I'd rather she not notice," James said sheepishly. "But if we use the right charms and be careful about it, it should be fine."

"If we get Charlus in on it, he'll help keep her distracted, too," Sirius added, grinning. "He only gets upset when we prank him. He loves pranking other people."

"And isn't that the truth," Harry grumbled. He still couldn't get all the sticky green stuff out of his hair from Charlus's retaliatory prank for what they did to his office. And that had been three days ago.

James shrugged and smiled sympathetically. "You probably shouldn't have told him what part of Sirius's birthday prank you were responsible for. If you hadn't, I would have been the one he targeted."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Harry said.

"Why me?"

"Because you had to get your pranking genes from somewhere, and it probably wasn't your mum," Peter pointed out.

"I can testify to that," Sirius said. "Jamie's gotten me good a few times."

"Hey! I told you never to call me that! Not even my mum is supposed to call me that!"

"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie," Sirius taunted in a sing-song voice.

"Cut it out, Sirius!"

"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie-poo," Sirius continued, grinning widely.

"Why you—" James lunged for Sirius.

"Whoa! Watch it, Prongs!" Remus exclaimed, righting the small cauldron. "Or you'll be the one stuck covered in silver paint. You do remember we specifically designed this to last for three days?"

James ignored Remus and tackled Sirius to the ground. Sirius continued taunting James, and James wasn't having it. Remus sighed and moved the cauldron, and the papers with their plans on them, away from the wrestling pair.

"Well, I guess we can get started without them," Peter said, shrugging.

"All right. Thank Merlin the Potters are lax with underage magic," Remus said. "Or else we'd have been busted a hundred times over already."

"Okay. I'll set up the balloon net. In the ballroom, right?" Harry asked

"Right. That's where the party will be."

"Thank Godric only the light families are invited," Peter said with a shudder. "Or we'd have a lot more to worry about than just being yelled at by the Potters."

"I'll rig the paint," Tonks volunteered. "They won't be as suspicious of me as they will be of the rest of you."

"I'll help Harry with the balloons and confetti," Peter offered.

"Then I guess that leaves me with the fireworks." Remus cast a doubtful glance at Sirius and James, who were still wrestling and grunting and cursing at each other, though without real venom. "Do you think they'll be mad we did it without them?"

Harry shrugged. "It'll be their own fault. They have no right to mad at us. And if they are, well. We'll just prank them," he said, grinning.

"Right. All right, Marauders. Go forth!" Remus said, with a smile. He gave Tonks a nod that meant she was included. The others smiled back and went to their stations.

"Ugh. I can't believe I let Marlene talk me into buying this," Tonks grumbled, adjusting her dress for the eighth time. It was a silver spaghetti strap dress that fell to her knees, but the neckline was designed funny.

"You look fine," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Just leave your hair down and no one will notice. I, on the other hand, feel like a penguin in a monkey suit."

"But you look so handsome," Tonks gushed, winking at him and smirking. Harry scowled.

"If I'd have known coming to James's involved a formal party, I wouldn't have come."

"Is that grumbling I hear?" James poked his head into Harry's room. "That's not allowed. And if it makes you feel better, mum will probably kick us out after the prank goes off."

"But that's not until midnight, and it's just barely after eight!" Harry complained.

"Would you rather be wearing the old-fashioned dress robes that Sirius has?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ugh, no. I pity him. Poor bloke." Sirius's dress robes were very reminiscent of Ron's from the Yule Ball in Harry's fourth year, except they were new, black instead of maroon, and with a little less lace. Supposedly they were high fashion among the ultra-purebloods, but to everyone else they were gaudy and outdated. But no one was going to say that to their face.

"Then quit whining and come downstairs. Mum wants me to play host, and I refuse to do that alone."

"Why can't Remus or Sirius help you? Or even Peter?" Harry whined. James raised his eyebrow at him, the expression far too much like Remus's. Harry grumbled. "Because I know exactly how to be a host at a pureblood party," he said, rolling his eyes. "Fine. But if I screw up, it's your fault."

"That's the spirit!" James said happily. "Come on!" He grabbed Harry's wrist and half-dragged him downstairs to the ballroom where the guests were gathering. Tonks's laughter echoed after him and Harry grumbled to himself.

When they reached the doorway to the ballroom, Harry couldn't help but be impressed. The balloon net he'd set up, deliberately in full view _and_ with approval from Dorea (though she didn't know they were going to end up all over the floor later), looked really cool hanging amidst the chandeliers and other decorations. The silver and black balloons reflected the candlelight in eerie patterns on the walls. The lights were dim, but the rest of the decorations were stunning. Food tables lined the far wall, and the hall was already filling with chatter. Harry recognized Frank Longbottom and waved at his housemate. He got a shock when Frank's mum turned around, though. It was definitely Augusta Longbottom, but she looked so very different from how Harry knew her in his own time, as Neville's grandmother. She looked just as stern, with a smiliar attire as to what he'd seen on Neville's boggart in his third year. But she looked so much younger and less high-strung.

"I know the decorations are impressive, but are you done gawking?" There was a note of teasing in James's voice.

"Yep. Done," Harry replied, elbowing James in the ribs.

"Then come on. Mum will show us what to do."

As it turned out, hosting was not nearly as difficult as James had made it out to be. Yes, Harry did have to stand beside James while he greeted the guests as they arrived, which was a little boring. Harry mostly just kept James from complaining too much or running off halfway through (someone had to be the responsible one). Then they had to circulate to greet those who had arrived before they started hosting. After that, though, James's mum gave them the go-ahead to join the party (and thanked Harry for keeping James in line). They happily did so, joining the other Marauders, Frank, and Marlene, whom James and Harry had already greeted at the door as she entered with her parents and younger brother (who was a fourth year Ravenclaw).

There were a few other people Harry recognized, too. He spotted the Bones family, including Amelia Bones, who was only a few years out of Hogwarts according to Frank. There were a few Harry recognized from the picture of the Order he'd seen the summer before his fifth year as well, though he couldn't remember their names. The rest of the guests were strangers to Harry, though James seemed to know nearly all of them, if only in passing.

The next few hours went by smoothly, and Harry was surprised to find he was having fun, even when Tonks and then Marlene dragged him onto the dance floor. Sure, he'd learned a few steps for the Yule Ball back in his fourth year, but Harry was hardly a good dancer. Put him together with Tonks, who was even clumsier than usual in high heels, and they were lucky they didn't break anything (well, if they didn't count the nearly empty platter Tonks had knocked off the table with her elbow by accident). When Harry returned to the group, his feet sore and his cheeks burning with embarrassment, he knew from James's and Sirius's laughter and Remus's sly smirk that they would never let him forget it. Dancing with Marlene went a little better—Harry mostly just let her lead.

As midnight approached, the Marauders plus Tonks started getting anxious. They weren't so much worried about the prank going off without a hitch as they were about the aftermath. James swore his mum would make them clean up the whole party afterward, while Sirius was convinced she'd lock them in their rooms for the rest of break. It was obvious what they each disliked most. James hated cleaning, and Sirius hated boredom.

Finally, the moment arrived. It was just a few minutes until midnight, and most of the attendees had gathered toward the center of the ballroom for the countdown. The Marauders readied their wands, the tips poking out of the sleeves of their dress robes. Tonks had stored hers in the fancy twist she'd done her hair up in, though she looked like she couldn't wait to take it down. Then the countdown began.

Harry's heart was pounding with excitement as he joined in, sharing a smirk with the others. Frank and Marlene, who had already figured out they had something big planned, were keeping their distance.

"Five. Four," the group chanted.

"Three. Two." The Marauders exchanged another grin and readied their wands.

"One!" Everyone cheered in unison, and couples leaned in for the first kiss of the new year. But the _bang_ nearly drowned everyone out. Confetti and balloons spilled from the ceiling. Most of them drifted to the floor, but the rest swirled through the air among the fireworks—the source of the _bang_ —and spelled out "Happy New Year!" Just as the big clock in the ballroom chimed the twelve, there was another _bang_ and the silver paint the boys had specially prepared arced across the room before spilling down onto the guests. It didn't touch their clothing, but any exposed skin, along with their hair, immediately turned silver.

The whole ballroom was in chaos from the count "one." A few women screamed at the fireworks, taken by surprise, and others shrieked as the paint fell on their dresses. Most of the men cheered, and after a moment everyone was cheering and wishing each other a happy New Year. The five boys and Tonks exchanged high-fives and congratulations, amidst laughter at one another's appearance. They were, of course, all affected by the prank as well. Tonks, her silver skin matching her dress, looked like a ghostly apparition. The boys just looked ridiculous. Sirius whipped out his camera and snapped about a hundred photos, of the Marauders, of the Potters, of the guests, anything. Then, just as he was readying another photo, he let out a very unmanly squeak and hid behind Remus. The reason for his alarm soon became clear.

Dorea Potter was marching over to them. Her face, painted silver like everyone else, was frighteningly blank (though Harry swore he saw her lip twich). When she stood before them, she put her hands on her hips, and even Tonks looked nervous.

"Boys. Joselyn—don't give me that look; I know you had a hand in this," Dorea said firmly while Tonks tried to look innocent. She swallowed. "Explain yourselves."

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Potter," Remus said with a pleasant smile. Harry tried not to gape, knowing he should have expected it—after all, Remus had done the same thing after their Halloween prank, while the rest of them cowered in their seats.

"Happy New Year, Mum," James added, grinning widely.

"Happy New Year," the others chorused, and this time Harry _knew_ Dorea was fighting a smile.

"As amusing as I'm sure this was for you, you've made quite the mess." Dorea gestured at the confetti and the balloons—about half of which had already been popped—scattered across the floor. "Not to mention you upset the guests."

"They don't look upset to me," Peter said bravely, then he squeaked and cowered behind James. Evidently he'd spoken without thinking. He was right, though, Harry thought, glancing around. After the initial surprise and shock, no one seemed upset. In fact, most of them seemed to be just as amused as the Marauders were. The rest seemed somewhat resigned.

Dorea opened her mouth, but before she could, Frank's father appeared. "Great show, boys. Though I would like to know, how long will I be silver?"

"Three days," Remus supplied. "Unless you can brew a counter-potion," he added with a slight shrug.

"That's good to know," Mr. Longbottom replied with a nod. "Dorea, don't be too hard on them. James and his friends pull something every year, but we keep coming. It's almost part of the tradition. Just ask anyone." Then he looked at the Marauders. "Good luck, boys," he said with a wink, then he left to rejoin the rest of the guests.

If anything, that made Harry more nervous. He had no experience with punishment or discipline, at least not done properly—he'd learned long ago that a frying pan to the head was _not_ appropriate punishment for anyone, especially not a child. While he knew he wouldn't be harmed physically, he didn't know what to expect.

For a long moment Dorea didn't say anything. She just stared them down until even Remus was trying not to squirm under her stern gaze. Finally she let out a long sigh. "He's right, I suppose. You six will help clean up the ballroom after everyone leaves, and you'll spend tomorrow indoors quietly. I suggest you take the time to do your homework and start packing." Sirius groaned quietly at the thought of homework and quiet time. Dorea ignored him and continued. "If there _is_ a counter-potion or counter-spell to the silver color, you will offer it to every guest before they leave. If not, I suppose it can't be helped. Is there?" Dorea looked directly at Remus—which was sort of funny because he was the best liar in the group.

"There's not," he said with a shrug. "But it _will_ wear off in three days. We made sure of that."

"Exactly. It's not a prank if it can be undone with a simple spell or potion," James added bravely. His mum gave him a sharp look and he fell quiet.

"Very well. When the last guests leave, you'll be cleaning. I'll set Mipsy to watch you—she won't help, and none of you will go to bed until the room is spotless," Dorea said sternly. The boys nodded. Mipsy was the Potters' house elf, though she was mainly in charge of running errands. Dorea preferred to do most of the cooking and cleaning herself or with help from James and her husband. Harry had met the elf briefly a few days before Christmas. He'd gone downstairs for a glass of water after everyone else had gone to bed, and he'd spotted her cleaning up the entry by the back door, which was wet and muddy from the snowball fight they'd had that day and the wet shoes and clothing they'd left there.

The rest of the party was just as much fun as the first part. Several people complimented the boys on their ingenius prank, and after hearing about Dorea's punishment, some of the guests started doing a small part of the cleaning themselves, like Vanishing patches of confetti or cleaning up spills by the food table, winking at the boys when they did. When the last guest had left, at about 1:30 am, and Mipsy appeared, the job was already partly done. The six exchanged a look and a sigh, then they got to work, silently dividing the room into equal sections to work on.

It took them about forty minutes to be completely done. Harry was just glad Dorea hadn't explicitly told them not to use magic; it made the job that much easier. He used his wand to sweep the loose confetti and scraps from popped balloons into a pile, then Vanished it with a wave of his wand. There were a few spills he had to clean by hand, but Scourgify or Tergeo did the job fine most of the time. It was after two a.m. when they all finally finished, and wearily they trooped up to bed.


	24. Back to Hogwarts (Part 1)

Welcome back! A few of you have pointed out that the plot isn't really going anywhere; I want to assure you that things will start picking up now. I wanted to spend the first term establishing characters and their relationships, especially between Harry and the Marauders. But now we'll start to see some real plot development. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!

By the way, a warning for mentions of abuse, but nothing explicit.

 **Chapter 25: Back to Hogwarts**

Before they knew it, it was nearly time to return to Hogwarts. Their punishment wasn't really a punishment (though Sirius thought otherwise), and they all managed to finish most, if not all, of the homework they'd been assigned over the break. They took full advantage of their last day and wrought chaos throughout the house and grounds. Another epic snowball fight took place in the morning in which even Charlus and Dorea participated, followed by the creation of an army of snow-wizards and witches, snow-house elves, snow-goblins, and the like. Sirius and Peter attempted a snow dragon, but failed miserably. Padfoot, however, was overjoyed by the failure. He pranced through the snow and knocked over all their creations, to the amusement and frustration of everyone else present. Harry barely refrained himself from transforming as well to wrestle the oversized puppy into submission. Instead he tackled Sirius the moment he transformed back and wrestled him to the ground while the others cheered him on.

By the time Sirius finally surrendered, the sky was nearly dark and it was suppertime. Exhausted but happy, the five boys plus Tonks trooped back into the house, left their wet clothes by the door for Mipsy to dry and put away later, and headed into the kitchen. The heavenly smell of beef stew reached their nostrils and Harry's mouth began to water. When the meal was ready, they ate heartily, much to the amusement of Charlus and Dorea.

After eating, the group retired to the sitting room where the Christmas tree still stood, decorated in all its glory, and played games and chatted until late. Sirius, seeking revenge against Harry for tackling him earlier, challenged him to a game of exploding snap. Harry agreed, but he should have known better. Sirius was the "Snap Master," as he'd dubbed himself, but no one could dispute it. Only Remus could beat him, and that only rarely—especially since Remus didn't often play the game in the first place. Harry lost at least a dozen rounds, until his fingertips were singed and his eyebrows were virtually nonexistent. He finally surrendered, and through the smell of burned hair and smoke, Dorea herded them into the kitchen for cocoa.

Just this once, Dorea allowed whipped cream and marshmallows on the cocoa. James and Sirius had far too much fun with the whipped cream, tossing it at each other and giving themselves cream mustaches. Sirius tried to paint Harry's eyebrows back on with it, too, but Peter came to his rescue with a whole handful of cream right in Sirius's face. Sirius sputtered while the others laughed. Meanwhile Remus, James, and Tonks tossed marshmallows back and forth, James and Tonks trying to catch them in their mouths. Then Dorea put a stop to the mess, despite Charlus chuckling beside her. A glob of cream adorned James's head that had obviously been his father's doing. Eventually, the chocolate and the late hour made everyone drowsy.

"All right, kids. Time for bed. You have a long journey tomorrow and I highly doubt any of you are properly packed yet." Charlus gave everyone a meaningful look, though his eyes still glinted with mischief. Harry had to agree, albeit reluctantly. Peter was slumped over his second mug of chocolate that was still half-full. James had nodded off completely in an upright position with cream still in his hair. His mug was dangerously close to tipping over and spilling its still-hot contents, courtesy of a warming charm, onto James's lap. Remus kept shaking himself to wake up, because his eyes kept closing.

"Do we have to?" Sirius complained; obviously, he would still be wide awake.

"Yes," Dorea said firmly. "All of you up to bed."

Sirius grumbled. Remus poked Peter awake and Harry nudged Tonks, who was close to nodding off as well. Then he caught Sirius's eye. Sirius smirked and nodded toward James, and Harry couldn't keep an answering smirk off his face. Harry readied his hand by James's nearly-full mug and Sirius grabbed the back of the chair. On a silent count of "three" Harry tipped James's mug and Sirius yanked the chair out from under him quickly enough that James ended up on the floor. He landed with a _crash_ and a yelp, hot cocoa spilling all down his front. Everyone burst out laughing, and even Dorea's lips twitched slightly.

"What the hell, guys?" James complained.

Sirius shrugged, grinning broadly. "It was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"But why'd it have to be me?" James whined. "Pete was asleep too."

"You take pranks better," Tonks said with a shrug. "And your reaction is funnier."

"Yeah. Pete would have just yelped and then joined in the laughter. You actually complain," Harry added, smirking. James pouted, though a smile was breaking through.

"And Harry has now officially joined the ranks of the Marauders," Remus added. "For pranking one of our own solely for the laugh."

James huffed, but everyone could tell he wasn't serious. He got to his feet, grimacing at the sticky chocolate that now drenched his hands and shirt.

"All right, I mean it this time. Up to bed or I'll drag you there myself," Dorea said firmly. "It's past midnight." There was a collective sigh and a few yawns, then the others followed, dragging their feet.

They said their good-nights at the landing between all the rooms. James gave both Harry and Sirius a look that promised severe retribution. Harry grinned and childishly stuck his tongue out at James before going to his own room. The sound of five other doors closing reached his ears and Harry changed into his pajamas, eager to go to sleep.

To Harry's surprise, only moments after he finished changing and brushing his teeth, his door opened and Tonks entered, also dressed in her pajamas.

"A knock would have been nice," Harry pointed out. "What if I'd been half-naked?"

Tonks shrugged. "Nothing I haven't seen before." She then ostensibly threw herself across Harry's bed like she owned it. Harry frowned.

"What do you want then? If I were anyone else I would think you were trying to seduce me."

Tonks grinned. She was dressed rather less appropriately for the season than Harry was, in a knit tank top and short shorts. "Can I not say a proper good-night to my little brother?"

" _Twin_ brother. And that's not how you say a proper good-night. So what do you want?"

Tonks sat up and shrugged, then beckoned Harry to join her on the bed. He sat and gave her a puzzled look. "Are you ready to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'm packed, if that's what you mean," Harry replied.

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Are you ready to leave and go back to Hogwarts tomorrow?" She repeated the question, but the serious look on her face derailed him. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She smiled faintly. 'That's what I thought. I'm not ready to leave yet, either."

"What do you mean?"

Tonks pulled her legs up, loosely wrapping her arms around them. "I feel at home here. But at the same time…I'm homesick."

" _You're_ homesick?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yep. All break. Even after I moved out, I still went home for Christmas and New Year. In fact, this may be the first Christmas I didn't celebrate with my parents since my third year at Hogwarts."

"That is a long time," Harry agreed. "For me, this is the first Christmas I've _ever_ celebrated outside of Hogwarts, at least that I can remember. Last year at Headquarters doesn't count."

"Did your aunt and uncle not celebrate Christmas?"

Harry smiled humourlessly. "Oh, they celebrated, all right. Over-celebrated, in fact. Just not with me. I was their cook and their maid on Christmas, just like every other day. The only presents I ever got were a pair of my uncle's old socks and a coat hanger."

Tonks's eyes widened. "Harry…" She trailed off. "I had no idea."

Harry shrugged but didn't speak. His throat was suddenly tight; he didn't trust himself to speak. At least now he knew why Tonks had come by uninvited. If left by himself, Harry wouldn't have even thought about how much he would miss his grandparents until he was about to board the train in the morning. And then he'd have no choice but to pretend he was fine.

"You don't want to leave, do you?" Tonks said gently, putting her arm around Harry's shoulders. Harry shook his head, and then something suddenly became painfully clear.

"We don't belong here," he said quietly. "The longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave."

Tonks squeezed his shoulders. "I know what you mean, kid."

Harry shook his head. "No. When we get back to school, we _have_ to start searching for ways to get back. Everywhere. Anywhere. And if we haven't found anything by the end of winter term, we go to Dumbledore."

Tonks was quiet for a moment. "I'd have thought you'd want to stick around forever. Your family is here."

"Yeah, but they're not my family. Not really. They—none of them— _really_ know me. And if I let them in too deep, there will be questions we can't answer without blowing our cover. And that might be dangerous. And you—you really _don't_ belong here. Neither of us do, really. All our friends are back in 1996."

"Then we search. We'll search until we find out how to get back—if we even can," Tonks added more quietly. Harry nodded slightly. Tonks squeezed his shoulders, then pulled him into a loose hug that Harry returned. "Good night, kid." She kissed his forehead, then released him.

"G'night, Tonks," Harry replied quietly. She smiled, then she left the room.

After that it was hard for Harry to get to sleep. He kept arguing with himself, trying to convince himself that going back to his own time was for the best. After a long time, Harry finally drifted into a restless sleep, only to wake twice from disturbing dreams. They didn't really qualify as nightmares, but they still made his heart ache and his hands shake. Finally, an hour or two before dawn, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Harry woke the next morning to something wet and unpleasantly warm on his cheek. He groaned and cracked his eyes open, looking for the culprit. He saw a blurry mass of black fur, and Harry groaned again, shoving the wet nose away from his face. "Ugh. Go away, Padfoot." He pulled the pillow over his head, but he could still hear muffled conversation.

"Go away? Did you hear that, Prongs? He told me to go away."

"Do you blame him? I wouldn't be surprised if one day soon he does the same to you, and then you can see how unpleasant it is."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"Maybe. Let him have a lie-in. At least he's completely packed, unlike you two."

"Hey! I am too."

"Really? Do you have your broomstick? Your homework? Your shoes?"

"I—damn!" There was a rush of air.

"And you, Sirius?"

"Yes, mum?"

"Go away!" Harry groused from under the pillow. "Have Jos wake me right before you leave."

"You heard the kid. Shoo, Padfoot."

"Hey! Who said you could call—" The rest was cut off by the _thud_ of the door shutting.

Harry groaned again. He had no idea what time it was, but whatever time it was, it was too early. He had a feeling today would not be a good day.

Harry managed to drift off again shortly after Sirius and Tonks had left, but the next thing he knew someone was knocking on his door.

"I'm coming in," Tonks's voice said. Harry heard her enter but didn't move. Then she was gently shaking his shoulder. "Come on, kid. We're leaving for Kings' Cross in half an hour, and you still have to get ready."

Harry grumbled under his breath but allowed himself to be coaxed out of bed. Tonks nodded approvingly, then left the room. Harry sighed, but got up and changed. He dressed in a grey jumper over a green t-shirt, dark jeans, and his dragon hide boots. He tossed his pajamas and the rest of his toiletries into his trunk. With his winter cloak hanging off one shoulder, Harry cast a feather-light charm on his trunk and dragged it downstairs.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Dorea greeted him when he entered the kitchen. She handed him a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. "Eat quickly; we'll be leaving soon."

"Why did he get to sleep in?" Peter complained. He, Sirius, James, and Tonks were sitting or standing around the kitchen table, packed trunks on the floor nearby.

"Because he was already packed," Tonks replied. "So was Remus; he should be down any minute now."

Sure enough, only seconds later Remus trudged into the kitchen. His hair was mussed and his jumper was on backward, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Good morning, Moony!" Sirius all but shouted in Remus's ear. Remus flinched at the noise and glared at his friend.

"Piss off, you prat," he grumbled, elbowing Sirius in the side as he went around the table to the plate Dorea had prepared for him.

"Ow! Moony!"

"Shut up, Sirius," Harry said sharply. The full moon was in two days, and Harry didn't doubt Remus was feeling it more than usual this time due to how late they'd been going to bed the last few days. Sirius gave Harry a betrayed look that may not have been entirely feigned, but Harry wasn't in an especially good mood that morning. James, however, glanced at Remus again and his eyes widened slightly in understanding.

"He's right, Sirius. Be nice this morning," he said, nodding pointedly at Remus. Sirius opened his mouth to protest, then he fell silent and nodded.

"Sorry, Moony," he said at a normal volume.

"Don't do it again," Remus said warningly. He and Harry finished off the rest of their breakfast just in time for Dorea to announce that it was time to go. Charlus appeared from the sitting room as well.

"Everyone ready? If you left anything, let us know and we'll send it to you," Charlus said. Everyone nodded. "All right. Since only two of you can actually apparate successfully and are of age, the rest of you will be taking the Floo to the station. Everyone to the fireplace, then, and don't forget your trunks."

Everyone shuffled over toward the hearth at the other end of the kitchen. Charlus lifted down the jar of Floo powder and extended it to Dorea. "Dorea will go first, then Sirius, then Peter, then Remus, and finally James. I'll apparate with Harry and Joselyn once James goes through, and we'll see you there."

"No fair. I want to apparate, too," Sirius grumbled. "I'm of age."

"But you haven't passed the test; these two have." After the second apparation lesson, those who had succeeded and were of age were allowed to go to the ministry to take the test. Harry and Tonks had been among the half dozen who had succeeded and been old enough. Sirius still splinched himself every time he tried, though he was getting better, and while Remus had successfully apparated several times now, he wasn't yet seventeen. James and Peter had only managed to apparate once each, but not without splinching something.

"Hmph," Sirius grumbled. He took a handful of powder from the jar Charlus held and threw it into the fireplace, then stepped in himself, upending his trunk beside him. "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!" he said loudly and clearly, then he was whooshed away in a swirl of green fire. Peter followed, though he almost choked on the ash when he announced the destination. Then Remus, who went without a hitch, and finally James, who scowled lightly at his dad as the green flames whisked him away. Once James had disappeared, Charlus put the Floo powder away and apparated out with Harry and Tonks.

The trio arrived only moments after James had. "You know, this kind of feels like cheating," Harry murmured to Tonks while James complained about not being allowed to side-along apparate with his dad.

"You mean because you're not actually seventeen yet?" Tonks whispered back, grinning.

"That, and we both knew how to apparate before we even got here."

"What's wrong with cheating? We're time-travelers; we make our own rules," Tonks whispered after making sure no one could hear. Harry grinned.

"All right. To the train, then, if you would, and put your trunks away. Then we can say goodbyes," Charlus said. It was still fairly early, only just gone ten a.m. The group hurried to oblige, claiming the compartment they'd been in on the way up in September, then they returned to the platform. There were hugs and thank-yous, though James seemed eager to leave. There was a moment when Sirius was saying goodbye that made Harry's heart ache slightly—Dorea had leaned over and whispered something in Sirius's ear that made him look up at her with slightly wet and hopeful eyes, then he hugged her firmly. Harry was forcibly reminded that Sirius had all but lost his family for good this time—there was almost no way his mother would overlook his latest escape. He'd probably been written off as a lost cause the moment he'd flown out his window.

Tonks said her thank-yous and goodbyes, then it was Harry's turn. "Thanks again for letting me stay with you," he said a little awkwardly.

"No thanks needed, dear. We loved having you," Dorea said.

"It was nice to have someone else putting Jamie in his place besides me for once," Charlus said with a chuckle.

"Still, thanks for—for everything." Harry cut himself off before he said something embarrassing. They both smiled and took turns hugging him.

"Take care, Harry," Dorea said before releasing him. "You're one of ours now."

"You are, kid," Charlus added in agreement, ruffling his hair. Harry's throat tightened at the implication. He couldn't speak, so he just nodded against Dorea's shoulder before pulling away, hoping he wouldn't start crying.

"Come on, Harry!" James called.

"Thanks again," Harry said once more, then, regretfully, he pulled away and jogged over to join James and the others. They found their compartment, thankfully without needing to chase anyone away, and took their seats. The compartment was a little crowded, but no one minded.

When the train started pulling away from the station, James took a moment to wave to his parents. Harry was glad he did, because it meant he wasn't embarrassed to do the same. Sirius joined in, then Tonks, and then all of them were waving at Charlus and Dorea, calling goodbyes through the open window, mostly in jest, until the train rounded a corner and they faded from sight.

Quickly the feelings Harry had had the previous evening resurfaced. Feigning a yawn, he leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. That gave him the chance to properly steady his breathing and force away the lump in his throat and the stinging in his eyes. Before long, though, genuine tiredness overcame him and he fell asleep.

He woke when the trolly lady came by to find his head pillowed on Remus's shoulder, and Remus's head on his own. The other boy was snoring lightly. James and Sirius were attempting to play Gobstones on the seat between them, pushing Peter against the door. Though, he didn't seem to mind. Harry couldn't see Tonks though he knew she was sitting on his other side. He allowed himself a small smile and drifted to sleep again.

Harry woke for good just as the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station, just in time to see a camera flash. He blinked, and when the spots cleared from his eyes he saw Sirius looking a little sheepish, and then Harry realized why he'd taken a picture. His head was in Remus's lap while Remus leaned against the window, and a weight on Harry's shoulder implied Tonks was leaning on him as well, though he doubted she was asleep. Remus groaned a little when the breaks squealed and he sat up. He looked confused to find Harry's head in his lap, but when Harry sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he just smiled a little and shrugged. Tonks sat up, wide awake as Harry had suspected, then turned to Sirius.

"I want a copy of that," she said.

Sirius smirked. "It's yours, babe," he said, winking. Harry kicked him in the shin.

"Quit hitting on my sister. Her heart's already taken, and not by you," he said firmly.

"Harry!" Tonks hissed, her cheeks flushing. To Harry's amusement, though, Remus—who had been watching the whole thing with amusement—went pink and looked away. Sirius didn't notice, but Harry smiled to himself. James snickered. They met each other's eyes and promised to tease the both of them as often as possible.

The train stopped properly then, and students began crowding out of their compartments and into the aisle. Harry and the others joined them, donning their winter cloaks as they stepped outside and shivering in the unexpected cold. They got one carriage to themselves, though it was a little cramped. At least being crammed together meant they didn't feel the icy January air as much on the ride up to the castle.

The feast that awaited them in the Great Hall was heavenly, but Harry still believed Dorea's cooking was better. He hoped they wouldn't mind if he wrote them every now and then, or added a comment or two to James's letters home the way Sirius and sometimes Remus and Peter did. By the time the feast was over, Harry was exhausted, despite having slept most of the train ride from Kings' Cross. He was glad to fall into his bed in Gryffindor tower and sleep.

The next day, Tuesday, classes resumed. None of the Marauders had properly recovered from their late night the night before returning to Hogwarts, and so most of the day they were busy hiding yawns and struggling to stay awake in class. Remus had it the worst, since the full moon was the very next day and the symptoms were returning with a vengeance. It didn't surprise any of them that Remus went up to the dorm right after classes ended to take a nap before dinner. In fact, James and Sirius followed them. Tonks, Harry was amused to see, had fallen asleep on the couch in the common room. Harry headed to the library to try and get some started on homework, since there were books there he needed for the assignment. Peter came along, but after a while he grew bored and went to join the others napping.

Shortly after Peter had left, Harry discovered he needed a book from the Transfiguration section, way in the back of the library. Grumbling a little at the long walk, Harry headed for the bookshelves. Just as he was about to turn down an aisle, he spotted Regulus at the usual table, frantically scribbling away. He must have left some homework undone.

"Hey, Reg," Harry greeted, abandoning his book search for the time being.

Regulus jumped at his voice and muttered a curse before he saw who had arrived.

"Was that supposed to be payback?" he asked grimly. "And how many times do I have to tell you _not_ to call me 'Reg'?"

Harry shrugged and took a seat beside him. "As many times as I have to tell _you_ to call me 'Harry'. And no, that wasn't payback. What had you concentrating so hard?"

Regulus grimaced. "Transfiguration. I wasn't able to finish it over break, but it's due tomorrow morning."

"Busy, were you?" Harry asked with a faint smirk. Regulus frowned and didn't answer. Harry suddenly took notice of the other boy's appearance. He looked exhausted, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. And was that a bruise on his cheekbone? He also held his quill carefully, as though something in his arm or shoulder were hurting him. "Are you okay, Regulus?"

"I'm fine," he muttered.

Harry hesitated, but pushed ahead. "I know I promised I wouldn't pry, but if you're hurt, I'd like to help."

"I said I'm fine," Regulus snapped, and Harry backed off.

"Do you want some help with your essay?"

Regulus looked torn between agreeing or telling Harry to bugger off. Finally, albeit reluctantly, Regulus nodded. He showed Harry the assignment and explained what he was confused about, then unburied a book from under a pile of parchment. Harry was pleased to see it was the same Transfiguration book he'd gotten Regulus for Christmas; he was glad the other boy had found it useful. Harry walked Regulus through the process of animate to inanimate transfiguration and vice versa, then turned to his own work while Regulus wrote the essay, occasionally answering questions. After a while, the scratching of Regulus's quill suddenly stopped.

"Are you done alrea—?" Harry began, then he looked over at Regulus. The younger boy rubbed his hand over his cheek, and Harry looked down at the essay to see that he had yet to finish the conclusion. He looked back at Regulus, almost afraid to speak. "Are you all right?" he asked cautiously, putting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. The wrong shoulder, apparently, because Regulus flinched at his touch and a grimace of pain crossed his face. "Regulus?"

"Mum branded me," he said flatly in explanation. "Among other things." Then he stood abruptly and gathered his books and papers. He winced again as he lifted the books into his arms. "I'm only just now able to use this arm," he added, indicating his right arm. "The other one luckily only took a few days to heal." Then without another word, Regulus set off from the library. Harry followed him, summoning his books and supplies as he did and slinging his magically packed bag over one shoulder.

Regulus led him, though intentionally or not Harry wasn't sure, to an empty classroom on the fourth floor. The dust on the floor made Harry sneeze before he had the presence of mind to cast a few cleaning spells. It was clear nobody had been there in a long time, which made it unlikely anyone else would venture there. Regulus stood near the middle of the room, his back to Harry. It looked like his arms were folded over his chest. He seemed to shiver, though it wasn't cold.

"Did Siri make it okay?" Regulus asked hesitantly.

"Well…okay is relative," Harry admitted. "But he's doing all right now."

"Good," Regulus answered, his arms tightening around himself.

"What happened…after?" Harry asked hesitantly, unsure he wanted an answer.

"Mum blamed me, of course. She was furious. Told me that not trying to stop him was the same as helping him escape, which made me nearly as bad as he is, in her eyes. She yelled for a good while. Then she told me to take off my shirt. I suppose I'm lucky she didn't use any Dark spells. It wouldn't do for the 'proper Heir of the House of Black' to be disfigured and scarred."

Harry listened with growing horror. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid that if he did, Regulus would clam up again, and it was probably good for him to get this off his chest. So he didn't dare speak, or even move. Regulus continued.

"She didn't bother to fix the broken window. She told me I had to sleep there, in…in Sirius's room. It was cold." Regulus hugged himself tighter. "Then whenever Mum got angry, she took it out on me. Usually by yelling, but sometimes…" He trailed off, then began again. "Then, the night before I left, she told me to come to the drawing room. Dad was there; he prepared the iron. Then Mum branded me manually." Regulus's hand moved to cover his left shoulder, and his knuckles turned white. "She put a spell on it that would make it keep hurting until she removed it. I took that as an invitation to go back over Easter. Then…I don't know what spells she used, but…she taught me a lesson I won't forget anytime soon."

Without explanation, Regulus took off his school robe and tossed it over an old desk, one of several scattered through the room. Then, with shaking hands, he shrugged off his button-down shirt, baring his back to Harry, who gasped. Some of the marks there looked like the ones Sirius had; the rest looked like burns. All of it was still red and inflamed. Recent. Harry could also see the mark on his left shoulder, identical to Sirius's.

Regulus started to pull his shirt on again, but Harry stopped him. "Wait. I have some healing salve. Not much; I was going to brew some more tonight. But it should be enough. Do…do you mind?"

Regulus hesitated, but shook his head and left his shirt off, pulled around his waist with his arms still partly in the sleeves. Harry Summoned the jar of dittany salve from his school bag and screwed off the top. Gently he rubbed it into the cuts and burns on Regulus's back. Several times the younger boy flinched or shuddered, but he didn't speak. When Harry was done and most of the marks had faded, Regulus pulled his shirt on again.

"I don't know why I told you all that," he said quietly. He turned slightly to reach for his robe, and Harry glimpsed his face for the first time since they'd entered the room. Now he knew why Regulus had kept his back to Harry the whole time. It was so Harry wouldn't see him cry.

"Regulus…"

The other boy pulled his school robe on without a word, and Harry pretended he didn't notice the way he scrubbed at his face with the sleeve. Regulus then started to leave, but he turned and gave Harry a fierce look. "You won't _ever_ tell _anyone_ what I've told you or what you saw here. _Especially_ Sirius. Do you swear?"

The effectiveness of the threat was somewhat lessened by his reddened eyes. "I swear," Harry answered. _I swear I won't let you get hurt again if I can stop it._

"Good." Regulus started for the door, his footsteps loud on the stone. He paused at the doorway and glanced back at Harry. "Thanks," he said. Then he left, the door thudding back into the frame behind him.

Harry watched him go, his heart aching for the younger boy. Somehow he doubted he had ever told anyone before, and with the possible exception of the years before Hogwarts, had never had anyone to lean on, either. Harry felt protective of Regulus, felt responsible for him. Like an older brother would. Like Sirius should. Harry vowed then and there that he'd get the two Black brothers on good terms again, and until then he, Harry, would be there for Regulus no matter what.

Finally Harry left the dusty classroom. He checked his watch and realized he'd all but missed dinner. He somehow doubted the others had woken up in time for it, either. He went to the kitchens and begged food off the house elves, plus some extra to bring up to the dorm with him. Before he did, though, he went to the student potions lab in the dungeons that Slughorn always kept open for students to practice brewing in—though, only NEWT students were allowed to use it unsupervised. Brewing a new batch of dittany salve would only take about half an hour, then he could check up on Sirius.

When Harry got back to the dorms about forty minutes later, he discovered that he need not have worried about them—they had a feast spread, the beds and trunks pushed out of the way to make room.

"Harrison!" Sirius exclaimed when he entered. "Where have you been all day?"

"I was in classes with you most of the day," Harry replied dryly. "But just now I was in the potions lab."

"You skipped dinner to brew _potions_?" James asked, screwing up his face in disgust.

"I lost track of time," Harry said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I did stop by the kitchens, but it looks like you could use some help eating all this."

"Nope," Peter said, grinning. "Sirius and Remus have been eating like starving men. If it weren't for me, they'd have eaten it all already."

"I have not," Remus protested, but the plate full of (rather rare) meat in front of him, next to another plate of scraps, said otherwise.

"Do you want some veggies with that beef?" Harry asked teasingly. Remus grimaced at Harry and turned back to his meal. Sirius was eating as if the food would disappear if he didn't get to it fast enough. James was nibbling on a roll, and Peter's plate was clean. Harry joined them, and it wasn't long all that was left were dirty dishes that vanished the moment the last crumb was eaten.

"Man, I'm stuffed," Sirius said, rolling onto his back. He burped loudly, making James and Peter snicker and the other two roll their eyes.

"Then you shouldn't have eaten as much," Harry pointed out. "It's late; why don't you sleep it off?"

"Mmm, okay." Sirius rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, pillowing his head on his arm.

"On the floor, Padfoot? Really?" James said, grinning. In response, Sirius transformed into Padfoot and curled up in a ball like dogs do. James shrugged. "Suit yourself." He got to his feet and got himself ready for bed. That was the cue for the others as well, and before long everyone was fast asleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Harry woke to a soft whimper, like an animal. Confused, he glanced at where Sirius had curled up as Padfoot, and found the big black dog still there. He really had fallen asleep as Padfoot, Harry thought. But the whimpers…those didn't sound good. Quietly, so he didn't disturb anyone else, Harry slid out of bed and knelt beside Padfoot.

"Wake up, boy. It's just a dream," he said softly, gently shaking the dog's body. He whimpered again, then shimmered back into Sirius, curled into the fetal position and shivering slightly. "Sirius, it's okay."

"H-Harrison?" Sirius blinked groggily.

"Yeah. You were having a nightmare. As Padfoot."

"Damn," Sirius muttered, sitting up. Harry didn't miss his wince.

"What's wrong?"

Sirius shook his head. "When I have dreams as Padfoot, it means it was really bad," he answered quietly.

"Are you okay?"

Sirius scoffed. "Hardly."

Harry frowned. At least he wasn't denying it. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Can I at least check your back? I doubt it's fully healed and I don't think you want those injuries to get infected."

"I thought you were out of that salve stuff."

"I made more tonight."

Sirius huffed. "Fine." He got up and headed to the bathroom. Harry followed, grabbing his salve on the way, and shut the door behind him. Sirius had already stripped out of his school clothes, which he'd fallen asleep wearing. He stood in just his boxers and gave Harry an impatient look.

"No need to be unpleasant. I'm only trying to help," Harry muttered. He inspected the marks from Christmas Eve. They were all scabbed over and some were starting to fade, but it wasn't nearly as healed as Harry had hoped. He sighed and started rubbing the salve into the scabs. Sirius flinched at the cold lotion, but otherwise didn't move. The scabs started to heal, some of the minor cuts turning pink. But mostly it was hardly better than rubbing muggle antiseptic on it. "Merlin, what spells did your mum use?" Harry muttered. "Any normal cuts would have mostly healed by now."

"These aren't normal cuts. She used Dark magic, of course. That means it takes at least twice as long to heal, no matter what potions you rub into it," Sirius said bitterly.

"Do they still hurt?"

"Occasionally," Sirius admitted.

"What actually happened that night? You never told us." Harry put away the salve and washed his hands.

Sirius scowled. "I don't want to talk about it."

"It might help the nightmares," Harry said, shrugging.

"What would _you_ know about nightmares?"

Harry scowled. "I watched my parents _and_ my godfather die. Just because you haven't noticed doesn't mean it doesn't happen."

"Well, at least you _had_ parents and a godfather. I got a banshee with claws," Sirius retorted hotly.

"Are you really going to try to one-up me on this?"

"Is it working?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know, you don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt. You could at least _try_ confiding in someone."

Sirius faked a yawn. "No thanks." Then he went back to bed. Harry sighed, but did the same.


	25. Back to Hogwarts (Part 2)

Hi everyone! First of all, thank you for all the lovely reviews you guys keep sending. They always make me smile. I'm glad I've gotten such a good reception for this story. Second, I'm sorry for the long wait between updates, and that this chapter is shorter than the previous ones, and probably not quite as good as I'd hoped. I hope to really get the plot moving next chapter, but aside from a few key events, I'm sort of at a loss. Ideas are welcome, especially minor conflicts between James and Lily, Severus and the Marauders, or some escalating of the war with Voldemort. Please review and leave your ideas! I can't promise to use all of them, but I will definitely appreciate each and every one. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 26 Back to Hogwarts (Part 2)**

The next day, the only Marauder not in a bad mood was Peter. Sirius made it a point to act as if his nightmare and disagreement with Harry had never happened, and as a result he was overly cheerful. He woke James, and Harry, and resultantly Remus, ridiculously early, and loudly. Harry suspected he'd either not actually fallen asleep again after his nightmare or had had another one. Otherwise he never would have been awake before dawn. So both Harry and James were annoyed with Sirius, who was annoyed with them in turn for taking his "friendly prank" badly, and Remus was in a foul mood because of the full moon that night. Peter had managed to sleep through Sirius's wake-up call, and was very confused by the tension between the other four as they ate breakfast. He was smart enough not to say anything, though.

The tension lasted most of the day. Remus's mood got worse as the day drew on, until the others were almost too afraid to even speak to him for fear of being snapped at or possibly hexed. James got over his annoyance with Sirius for waking him too early, but then he was annoyed because he could tell that Sirius's cheerfulness was false. Harry knew it was false, too, and once or twice tried to talk to Sirius again, but both times Sirius brushed him off and got defensive, which only made Harry more annoyed with him. Poor Peter had no idea what was wrong with any of them, except for Remus of course, but he did his best to be a peacemaker and keep the annoyance from flaring up in anger.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just the Marauders who knew something was up with the infamous group. Tonks caught on quickly and took Harry aside during lunch and basically made him talk. Lily noticed as well, but the only person she felt comfortable asking—Peter—didn't know what was going on. So she was stuck taking points off them for trying to hex each other in the common room. And Severus made it glaringly obvious that he knew something was up as well during Potions that afternoon.

It was their first Potions class back from the holiday, and Slughorn had them working on a more advanced form of a sleeping draught, which had had to stew over the break. Harry offered only a terse greeting when he took his seat beside Severus at the beginning of class and for the most part didn't speak. Sirius and James only spoke when necessary, which wasn't often—these potions were independent projects. Since Potions was nearly their last class, Remus was entering the lethargic, headache, achy stage of Pre-Moon Syndrome, as Sirius had dubbed it years ago, so Peter was doing most of the work.

"What happened over the holiday that made you all hate each other, then?" Severus asked about halfway through class.

"Nothing happened over the holiday," Harry responded tersely.

"What happened yesterday, then?"

"Not your business," Harry retorted.

"If you screw up your potion because you're in a bad mood, it _is_ my business."

"How do you figure?"

"I can't have my rival falling behind, can I? It makes me look bad."

Involuntarily Harry's lips quirked upward. "Rival, huh. Is that what I am?"

Severus exhaled forcefully. "Come off it, Carter. It's obvious something happened. Lupin is being snappy, Potter and Black can barely look at each other, and you keep glaring in their direction. It has to be something big to break up the dynamic duo," he added sarcastically.

It was Harry's turn to exhale forcefully. "We didn't get enough sleep the last few days, and it's made us all irritable. Okay?"

Severus actually flinched back from the forceful glare Harry gave him. "Fine," he grumbled, then he turned back to his potion. After several minutes, though, he spoke again. "Can I join you in the library this weekend?"

"Sure," Harry muttered absently, and neither of them spoke again the remainder of the period. Harry glared at Sirius again, wishing he'd stop playing it tough and just tell them what had happened, so they could actually help him. Harry could feel Severus's eyes on him the rest of the period, though.

When Potions ended, the five Marauders made their way to their next classes—Arithmancy for Harry and James, and History of Magic for Peter and Remus. Sirius had a free period and went back to the dorm. Harry could feel both Tonks and Lily watching him all through Arithmancy, but he ignored them. He and James got on just fine, and complained a few times about their mutual annoyance with Sirius.

Remus skipped dinner; according to Peter, he'd nearly passed out on the way and Peter had insisted that he go ahead to the hospital wing. Peter met the other three boys in the Great Hall and they ate quickly, made their excuses, and headed out to the Whomping Willow when the time came.

Moony was more irritable than usual that night, which made him more inclined toward violence. The other four came to a mutual decision not to leave the Shack, just to be extra-safe, but the confinement only made Moony worse. Though they did their best, more than once either Russet, Padfoot, or Prongs had to force the werewolf away from the trapdoor and the windows and doors, which resulted in multiple injuries for all of them. Wormtail tried to help, too, but being so small, he was only a minor irritant to Moony. Though, that was sometimes enough to dissuade Moony from going where he oughtn't, with the rat snapping at his paws every time he got close to an exit.

When the moon finally set, all of them were bloody, bruised, and exhausted. It was a weary troop that trudged back up to Gryffindor tower just before dawn, regretfully leaving a similarly battered Remus in the Shrieking Shack for Madame Pomphrey to tend to. They barely had time to heal the worst of their cuts before they had to get breakfast and be in class. The good news was that their disagreements fell by the wayside in exchange for mutual worry for Remus.

When they finally managed to visit him during their lunch period, it wasn't to a very welcome sight. Remus was awake, sitting up and eating his own lunch, but with difficulty. Bandages wrapped around his wrists and torso and there was a bandage on his cheek as well. Harry tried to force back a stab of guilt, and from the others' expressions, he knew they felt the same. But Remus took more notice of the state of his friends—Sirius had a cut across his chin that was scabbed over, and James was trying to hide his bandaged arm under the sleeve of his robe. Harry and Peter just looked exhausted and pale.

"What happened last night?" Remus asked in an undertone as they gathered around his bed.

"Since you were in a bad mood, Moony was, too," James supplied sheepishly. "He didn't like staying in the Shack, so we had to fight him away from the doors a few times."

"Sorry," Harry apologized, sitting on the bed beside Remus. "We tried not to hurt you too badly, but…it looks like we weren't as careful as we tried to be."

"'S not your fault," Remus murmured, lowering his head and averting his eyes. Peter nudged his shoulder, careful of his injuries.

"Stop blaming yourself. No amount of guilt is going to make us regret the choice," he said, unusually profound. "We knew what we were getting into from the beginning."

"And we'd gladly do it again, or as many times as necessary," Sirius declared. "Because," he continued at a lower volume, "you might be a werewolf, but you're _our_ werewolf." Sirius winked and nudged Remus's other shoulder.

Remus smiled tremulously. "Thanks, Padfoot. And thanks, guys," he added, looking at each of them in turn.

Harry smiled back. "What are friends for?"

"You just worry about getting better quick. We're telling everyone you caught a bug or something over the holidays. Too much time in the snow," James said with a grin.

"Yeah. So we don't have to worry about taking notes for you," Sirius added with a playful grimace. "It's hard to take notes up to your standard."

Remus grinned. "Maybe you'll actually learn something for a change," he teased. Sirius adopted a mortally wounded expression and fell dramatically back across Remus's lap.

"How could you say such a thing? I _always_ learn something."

"Yeah. Like how to get a detention or lose points as quickly as possible," Peter put in, smirking.

Sirius gasped in playful betrayal. "Wormtail, how could you?"

James grinned and shook his head. "You're such a drama queen, Padfoot," he said, smacking Sirius's shoulder.

"Emphasis on _queen_ ," Harry added. Sirius gave him a wide-eyed look, then shut his eyes as if in pain.

"I'm wounded. Moony, save me!"

Remus chuckled and responded by shoving Sirius off his legs. "Knock it off, Padfoot. You guys are going to be late."

James checked his watch. "Damn, you're right! And we've got McGonagall next!"

That was enough to get Sirius to his feet, and the others followed. "Feel better soon, Moony!" Sirius called back as they left. Remus grinned and waved with one bandaged arm.

"Behave yourself, Padfoot!" he called back. Sirius grinned crookedly, in no way promising anything of the sort, then James grabbed one arm and Harry grabbed his other and together they pulled him through the doors of the hospital wing, Peter waving back on the others' behalf. Then they hurried to Transfiguration.

The next two days went better. Sirius stopped acting like a prat whenever Christmas came up, though he still refused to talk about it. Their injuries from the full moon were healing smoothly, though everyone would have a new scar or two. Remus was released from the hospital wing Friday morning and attended his classes as normal. And Severus did indeed show up in the library on Saturday, joining Harry and Regulus at the back table.

Before Severus arrived, Harry talked briefly to Regulus about what he'd shared several days previous. Regulus put on a brave face, though Harry could tell he was still having a hard time. Though, his injuries (apart from the cursed tattoo on his shoulder) had all healed by the weekend.

Once Severus arrived, greetings were exchanged and then they worked mostly in silence but for the occasional question or comment about their assignments. Surprising Harry, Severus asked for his help in Ancient Runes and in Charms. Harry was glad to help, though he was surprised Severus had swallowed his pride enough to ask for help. The older Slytherin boy's personality was being tempered, little by little. He still loathed James Potter and Sirius Black, and held no fondness for Remus or Peter, either, and he still had a biting sense of humor and an acerbic tongue. But he was a little more friendly and approachable, at least to those he deemed worthy of his attention, and less belittling in his comments. Though, as far as Harry knew, that group only extended to him and Regulus, and perhaps one or two other Slytherin students.

Sunday, January 9, was Severus's birthday. Severus never mentioned it, nor did Regulus, but Lily had let it slip earlier in the week while talking to her roommates and Tonks had reported it to Harry, winking as she did. The moment he learned the date, Harry knew what would truly make his birthday memorable. It wouldn't be a grand prank like the Marauders did for one another, nor would it be an extravagant gift (Harry had to remind himself that he wasn't rich in this time). But it would be perfect for Severus.

Before he could enact it, though, Harry had to do a bit of research. Tonks accompanied him, and they split their time between looking for the tools to make Harry's gift the best it could be without going too far, and searching for ways to return to their own time. In fact, Harry and Tonks had been in the library every afternoon since returning to Hogwarts, combing the stacks for anything that might be useful. They hadn't found anything yet, but they hadn't yet gotten very far—it _had_ only been a week. However, Harry did find what he was looking for for Severus's birthday gift. He made up the plan, then, since it was nearly curfew, he returned to the dorms.

The rest of the Marauders were in the common room, ostensibly working on homework. Harry greeted them briefly, then headed up to the dorm and began his preparations. An hour later, he was satisfied everything would go as planned, so he turned in for the night.

Harry woke to a very feminine shriek. He groaned and hid his head under his pillow, though a faint smile touched his lips. One down. He was just starting to drift off again when another cry of outrage roused him. Blinking sleepily, Harry finally sat up. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around the room. Sirius sported Slytherin green hair, still dripping from the shower, and James's skin was the same color green. Harry hid a grin—two down. Peter was struggling not to laugh and Remus was smirking.

"Moony! Why? What did we ever do to you?"

"Why must you assume it was me?"

"Because you're grinning!" Sirius exclaimed.

"So's Peter," Remus said, shrugging. "You're not accusing him."

"What's going on?" Harry asked sleepily, choosing that moment to announce that he was awake.

" _Someone_ ," Sirius threw Remus a dark look, "thought it would be funny to spike my shampoo with a color-changing potion."

Harry tilted his head to one side as if examining him. "It looks the same to me."

Sirius's jaw dropped as Peter snorted in laughter. When Sirius glared at him, he hurried into the bathroom to shower. James was grinning, too, though he also looked faintly annoyed at the fact that his skin matched Sirius's hair. Remus was now trying not to laugh.

"Good answer, Harry," Remus said with a snort.

"My hair is _green_!" Sirius wailed, tugging at his hair for emphasis. "It's not supposed to be _green_!"

"Well, neither is my skin," James put in wryly. "Which one of you did it?" he asked, turning to Harry and Remus.

"You honestly think we'll confess?" Harry cocked an eyebrow. "What kind of Marauder admits to a prank without the threat of detention?"

"He's got a point," Remus said, shrugging. He grabbed a set of clean clothes and followed Peter into the bathroom.

James and Sirius glared after him, then at Harry. "When we find out which of you is guilty…" James trailed off threateningly, and Sirius drew his finger across his throat for emphasis.

"Have you tried undoing it?" Harry asked innocently.

"Multiple times. It's not working," Sirius grouched. Harry shrugged apologetically.

"You'll just have to wait for it to wear off, then."

"The _hell_?" The voice came from the bathroom. A moment later Peter emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off the fact that his whole body was silver now. He put his hands on his hips and surveyed the three still in the room, his eyes narrowing.

"What the hell, guys?" Peter demanded. "I don't recall doing _anything_ worthy of retaliation that hasn't already been repaid."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe someone's holding a grudge?" He deliberately glanced at James, even though James had done nothing and said nothing about pranking Peter. With the others' attention diverted, Harry got his own things for bathing and went to the bathroom to shower. He was only halfway done when he heard a startled cry.

"I'm only sixteen," Remus lamented, his voice muffled through the glass shower door and the running water. "Why is my hair grey?"

Harry rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and poked his head out. Sure enough, Remus's hair was no longer its natural mousy brown. "It's not grey; it's silver. Much more distinguished," he quipped. Remus gave him a wry look and a quirked eyebrow. Harry shrugged, grinning, and finished his shower. When he emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day, he was met by four shrewd looks. Obviously, he was the only one unaffected—which made all evidence point to him as the culprit.

Harry shrugged innocently. "It's nothing personal," he said, then he left the dorm. It took a moment before he heard the exlamations that meant the others realized he'd confessed. Then he broke into a run.

Harry took refuge at the Slytherin table that morning for breakfast. Since it was Sunday, there were fewer people than usual. Many of them preferred a lie-in to the first meal of the day.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus asked as Harry took his seat and started loading up his plate.

"I need protection," Harry replied. "They wouldn't dare come all the way over here."

"Who?" Severus asked from Regulus's other side.

Harry's lips quirked as the doors to the Great Hall opened and the Marauders entered. He'd hidden all of the robes, jumpers, and long-sleeved uniform shirts in their dorm, including his own, to maximize the effect of their colored skin. He knew just hiding one set of clothing would only mean they'd borrow each other's, or steal his, and Harry didn't want them to have that option. So, without robes and in short-sleeved shirts, the whole student body could see James's green skin and Peter's silver skin. Remus's and Sirius's colored hair stood out famously.

Peter's shirt was already starting to turn green, just the way Harry had planned it. Remus had sort of shrugged off the prank, sporting his silver hair with pride and telling everyone it looked "distinguished." His shirt was also turning green. James was obviously self-conscious, and his hands kept going to his hair as if to reassure himself it was still its natural black—though it wouldn't be for much longer. Sirius was wearing a beanie, probably stolen from Peter, in an effort to hide his hair. It was probably just a coincidence that the beanie happened to be the same color, and Sirius hadn't noticed.

"Happy Birthday, Severus," Harry said with a grin. At the same time, he subtly waved his wand and white streamers appeared, hanging from the wall behind the teachers' table where everyone in the Hall could see it. They simply spelled out, "Happy Birthday," because he knew Severus would hate having attention drawn to himself. Even so, Severus's face reddened in embarrassment, though he was trying to hide a smile at the Marauders' misfortune.

"Thanks. And…thanks for the new quills," he murmured.

"How long is that going to last?" Regulus asked, hardly bothering to hide his amusement.

"All day. And the color will spread gradually. By dinner all four of them will be completely green and silver," Harry said, smiling. Then he turned to Severus. "I figured you'd enjoy them being pranked for a change, since they're always targeting you." Despite his emphatic lecture on bullying a few weeks before Christmas, James and Sirius still went out of their way to provoke Severus; though, usually Sirius was the instigator. They just tried to be less obvious about it. Harry didn't bother to tell them off again, knowing they wouldn't listen, but he was rather displeased. And made sure they knew it.

"It is an amusing sight," Severus said, his embarrassment fading now that the streamers had disappeared. "I deem it an adequate birthday honor."

Harry smiled crookedly at Severus's tone. "I am honored you esteem my work as such," he said, matching the formal tone as best he could. From Regulus's amused snort, he knew he'd failed. "Anyway, I hope you really do appreciate it, because I'll probably be the one in colors not my own tomorrow."

"Like you'd mind being green," Regulus said, rolling his eyes.

Harry shrugged. "It _is_ my favorite color. I just hope they don't turn me yellow. I look awful in yellow!" He shuddered in mock horror.

"Careful, or they might hear you," Severus said dryly, his lips quirking upward—it was about the closest he got to a real smile. Harry glanced across the hall at the Gryffindor table. He knew they really couldn't hear, but all four of them were glaring at him—though Remus's glare looked strained, like he'd rather laugh than feign anger.

"I'll survive. Hopefully," Harry said, then he turned his attention to his meal.

To Harry's great surprise, several Slytherin students, most of them complete strangers, came up to him as breakfast ended and thanked him for taking "Potter and his ilk" (or "the blood-traitor and his sycophants," from others) down a peg. A few of them had probably heard his conversation with Severus and Regulus, but the rest simply drew conclusions from the facts—it was well-known that Harry was good friends with James and the others, and that he was in the thick of it when they pulled pranks on the school. They simply drew the conclusion that if four were pranked and one was not, the one not pranked was most likely the culprit.

One of them, though, one of the seventh years whose name Harry didn't know, suggested that the Slytherin thing to do would be prank three of them and himself, thus diverting the blame to someone else. Harry thanked the boy and started plotting a prank where he could do just that—let it not be said that Harrison Carter didn't have some Slytherin tendencies hidden under that Gryffindor-ish façade. The Sorting Hat _had_ wanted to put him in Slytherin, after all.


	26. Answers

A bunch of reviewers pointed out I had the date wrong! It is now corrected to 1977, instead of 1978. Don't forget to read and review!

 **Chapter 27 Answers**

The following morning Harry found himself spelled yellow and black. He halfheartedly cursed James and the others for their retaliatory prank, but in fact he laughed along with them. Severus laughed at him in Potions, recalling his comment the previous day during breakfast, and even Regulus smirked amusedly at him from across the Great Hall. Harry had shrugged sheepishly in reply. By the end of the day, the color wore off, just like Harry's prank in honor of Severus's birthday. Though, James and Sirius seemed determined to get him even better one day soon. According to them, Harry was still one up. Harry wondered if they were keeping a written record; it wouldn't surprise him.

After that, the days quickly resumed their usual rhythm, same as before the break. Harry went to class, talked and laughed with his friends, and studied in the library. Well, it would be more accurate to say that Harry _lived_ in the library. He was desperate to find an answer, a way back.

More than ever, Harry became painfully aware of just how many secrets he was keeping from those he currently considered his closest friends, his family even. Almost every conversation they had, Harry had to edit something, carefully form his answers, so as not to give anything away. They had no idea that they would all be dead in Harry's time, all but Remus ( _Pettigrew_ in the future didn't count).

At first it had been a sort of game, a chance for Harry to get to know his parents and the Marauders the way he _should_ have known them, to have fun and be free from the pressures of being the boy-who-lived and the chosen one. But now that he'd spent a Christmas with them, and he was stuck for the foreseeable future, it suddenly became very real. And Harry wanted answers. He wanted to know how long he'd have to maintain his charade, if it was even worth it. And so Harry dedicated every moment of free time when he wasn't studying to research in the library. Tonks joined him often, and together they combed the stacks, every shelf and section in the library for _something_ that would give them a way back.

For two weeks they searched, until Harry began to grow frustrated and short-tempered. All the Marauders noticed, and not one of them had a clue what was wrong. After one incident where Harry snapped at Peter just because he asked for help on his DADA homework, Tonks grabbed him by the elbow and all but dragged him away, to curious looks from the other occupants in the common room. Naturally, they headed to the Room of Requirement.

The moment the door shut behind them, Tonks turned on Harry, her hair already fiery orange and her hands on her hips, a dangerous look on her face. "What was that?" she demanded.

"What was what?" Harry demanded.

" _Don't_ get cheeky this time, or I'll actually hex you," she threatened. "I want to know what your problem is. I know you're irritated that we haven't found anything yet, but that doesn't give you an excuse to take it out on Peter; he didn't do anything but ask for homework help."

"He interrupted my brooding," Harry retorted. Tonks growled and got him with a sharp stinging hex that made him yelp.

"I warned you," she said in answer to his glare. "I've let your attitude slide for the last few days because I'm frustrated, too, but this single-minded _obsession_ won't get you or me anywhere."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Pretend everything is fine while I share a dorm with dead people?"

"I _expect_ you to act your age, not like a toddler when things don't go his way," Tonks retorted firmly.

"I _am._ We've combed every bloody stack in the library, and what have we found? _Nothing_. Not even a scrap of information. Just useless stories of people who've gone back one or two days in time and people tinkering with time turners. _Nothing!_ " Tonks glowered and Harry yelped as she hexed him again.

"If you don't turn off your temper, I'm going to silence you for the rest of the day," she warned. "I don't care what your excuse is."

Harry scowled at his "sister" and turned away, now glaring at the wall as if he could put holes in it with just his gaze. He heard Tonks huff in frustration, but she didn't say anything else. The next several minutes passed in tense, charged silence. After a short while he heard Tonks begin to pace, but Harry continued to ignore her. He felt fully justified in his frustration, and who was she to lecture him? Sure, she was older, but she wasn't his mother (however often he joked about it). And she may have left her parents behind, but she'd already been living away from home for years. Harry had left all his friends, _plus_ Remus (the older one). He had every right to be angry.

Unexpectedly, Harry heard the sound of pages turning. So the Room had provided a book to keep Tonks entertained. Whatever. Why would he care?

"Harry."

He ignored her.

" _Harry_."

He continued to ignore her.

"Harry James Potter!"

Harry whirled angrily. "Haven't you lectured me enough?" he snapped.

Tonks glared at him. "If you'd _look_ , you'd know I'm not going to lecture you again."

"Look at—whoa." All of Harry's anger dissipated the moment he saw the bookcase in front of him and Tonks. It was mostly full, and every book on it had "time" in the title. _Jumping Through Time_ , _Timely Mishaps_ , _Time Travel: An Idiot's Guide to Getting Stuck in the Past_ , _Out of Your Time_ , and dozens of others. There was a table before the bookcase, on which a book already lay open. Harry couldn't see the title, but the chapter it was open to was called "What to do when you're out of time."

Harry slowly turned toward Tonks, who met his gaze with a self-satisfied smirk. "You're welcome, Potter."

Harry grimaced, but it lacked venom. "Looks like we've still got research to do." He pulled _Time Travel: An Idiot's Guide_ off its shelf and sat down in the chair provided by the Room. Tonks sat opposite and began thumbing through her book again.

For hours they browsed the texts provided by the Room of Requirement. Little by little they began to put together clues, but not until Harry stumbled across the closing paragraphs in _A Mishap? Or A Timely Opportunity?_ did they finally find the answer they sought. Tonks leaned over his shoulder and they read together:

 _Everyone dreams of a chance to change the past. There are always regrets that a little hindsight could prevent. It is a rare opportunity to be granted such a chance. While generally it is unadvised to deliberately change the past in some manner, the Fates often have other ways of resolving past wrongs. That is where we discover that a mistake, an accident, was in fact a timely opportunity. And as the Fates dictate, things often have a way of working out._

 _It is not true that changing the past creates an alternate timeline, at least not when changed by this manner. For if an alternate timeline, an alternate reality, were created, the past wasn't really changed, was it? Rather, the person or persons sent back to fix the past are given the opportunity to return to their present, where the two realities will instead merge into one. If many things changed, the memories of the first past and the new past will remain, though eventually the new memories will override the old._

 _The opportunity is presented in many ways. Sometimes it is a repeat of the instance that sent them back in the first place, but usually it is tied to magic itself. An unusually large burst of magic from the younger counterpart of the person (or persons) sent back in time will create a hole in the time stream, just large enough and lasting just long enough for said person to return. In the event of more than one person in the past, the burst of magic must occur very nearly simultaneously in all of the younger counterparts. When the hole in the time stream is opened, each person has a choice to remain in the past and live out a different lifetime, separate from his or her younger counterpart, or return to his or her "present," when the original mishap occurred. In the latter circumstance, memories will begin to return within days, and within a few months the new past will have asserted itself in the person's mind._

 _The past_ can _be changed. Not on a whim, but by the Fates. It is a rare person who gets the opportunity to change the past, but it is not an opportunity to be taken lightly. Good luck, time-travelers, and do not forget: He Who is Marked is the Fated One._

Harry glanced at Tonks, who looked up wide-eyed. "So…this was meant to happen?" she said.

Harry shrugged. "I guess. But at least we know we're here for a good three and a half years yet."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't born until 1980. It's only 1977. And according to this," Harry tapped the passages in the book, "this 'unusually large burst of magic' has to happen from both of us simultaneously—well, both our younger selves, at least."

"Right. What I want to know is what this means." Tonks tapped the last sentence. "What does it mean, "he who is marked is the fated one?"

Harry gave a dry laugh. "Me, obviously. I'm 'marked,' and the Fates, I suppose, have apparently been controlling my life since birth." He tapped his forehead where his lightning-bolt scar was hidden by his hair.

"If you say so. Just don't let it go to your head," Tonks said dryly, her lips twitching. "So, now that you have your answer, will you go apologize to Peter?"

Harry scowled. "Fine, _mum_."

Tonks flicked his forehead. "Cheeky brat. Let's go. I'm starving, and it's probably past curfew."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. "Have we really been here that long?"

"According to my stomach, yes. It was just after lunch when we came in here; now my stomach is demanding its missed meal," she said wryly. As if to punctuate her words, Tonks's stomach growled loudly. "See?"

"All right. Kitchens, then I'll apologize for being such a prat this week."

"Sounds good," Tonks agreed. She hopped to her feet and headed for the door, Harry on her heels.

It was indeed past curfew, and the castle was dead silent. Even so, the two stealthily made their way through the corridors and secret passages down to the kitchens. They were lucky enough not to get caught, and they ate to their heart's content. The house elves, as usual, were all too happy to give them heaping helpings of everything that had been served at dinner. Finally, stuffed, content, and drowsy, the honorary siblings made their way back toward Gryffindor tower.

The two said their good nights and headed up to their respective dorms. Harry ascended the stairs as quietly as he could, knowing that it was late and the Marauders were almost certainly asleep by now. The common room had been mostly deserted but for a few dedicated fifth and seventh years, already beginning to study for their OWLs and NEWTs.

Harry pushed his dormitory door open slowly, wincing as it creaked and hoping there was no prank set to trigger upon opening (it had happened several times before). To his relief, nothing happened and he slipped into the darkened room. He shut the door and started to turn when he heard a rustling noise, and then light bloomed from the bed across from him. Another light appeared from the other beds one at a time, revealing four boys who were very much awake and, apparently, waiting for Harry.

"You guys waited up for me?" Harry asked, still standing in the doorway.

"'Course we did," James answered. "You almost never get angry; we thought something was wrong."

"We were worried about you, mate," Sirius added with a shrug.

" _Is_ something wrong?" Remus asked, and even in the dim light Harry could feel the other boy's eyes on him.

"Well…yes and no. But I'm not going to share any more than that. It's sort of…between Joselyn and I."

"Are you sure?" James asked.

"For now, yes." Harry glanced around the room. James, Sirius, and Remus all looked like they wanted to question him further but were refraining out of respect. Peter, however, was frowning. Smiling apologetically, Harry held his hands up to show he was empty-handed and walked toward Peter's bed. "Can I sit?" he asked. Peter nodded stiffly, so Harry sat. "Look, Pete. I'm sorry for snapping at you downstairs. I was completely out of line, and I had no right to take my frustration out on you."

"No, you didn't," he said harshly, and Harry was surprised. He never took Peter for one to be offended easily, but maybe this was an exception? Harry noticed that the other wands dimmed and went out, and he heard a murmured incantation that wrapped the two of them in a privacy charm. He caught Remus's eye in the darkness and gave him a grateful nod. Remus nodded back, then rolled over, appearing to go to sleep.

"Did you know that James and Sirius hardly ever help me with homework? And that Remus only does it because he feels sorry for me?"

"What do you mean?" This wasn't the way Harry had pictured this conversation going.

"The only thing I'm really good at is Potions, and the others hate it. James and Sirius are almost always the first to get new spells, and Remus is never far behind. I hold them back. I was the last to get the animagus transformation, and in the meantime Moony hurt Remus really bad. I thought it was my fault, and the others never tried to tell me otherwise. I don't know if they even noticed. I've been the butt of their jokes for five years. I learned to deal with it, but I never stopped being hurt by it."

For the whole time, Peter's head was down and he was speaking to his lap more than to Harry. Then Peter looked up, his gaze unusually intense. "Then you came along, you slipped into the cracks, and you were good at _everything_. I was jealous, at first. Then you started helping me, patiently tutoring me on the things I had trouble getting, telling me good job when I got it, letting me help with the pranks, and you made me feel like I was actually worth it. Like I was actually part of the group."

"Pete, I—" Harry began, but Peter continued as if he hadn't spoken, but his head was down again.

"It really hurt when you brushed me off earlier. And you've barely looked at me for the last week or so. I thought it was going back to the way it was before, except now there would be four people who pitied me, instead of just three."

Peter looked up again, and Harry was surprised to see the moisture in his eyes. "You're my best friend, Harry. And I thought you were going to abandon me."

"I…I never knew." It was all Harry could think to say. Suddenly, though, Harry realized why the Peter from his time had turned away from the Marauders—because they turned away first. Maybe not on purpose, and not out of malice or anything, but simply because of the ability gap between the other three and Peter, and the selfishness of adolescence. Not to mention, Harry realized, Sirius's and Remus's struggles would have eclipsed any of the seeming insignificance of hurt feelings. The four would have sort of naturally grew apart, until Peter had no one else to turn to except the Death Eaters—who would have offered him everything he wanted: recognition, praise, and a feeling of belonging.

After reading the passages in the time-travel book earlier, Harry realized that there _were_ things he was supposedly meant to change. Already, it seemed he'd stopped Peter from turning dark simply by being his friend and bridging the gap between him and the other Marauders. And it looked like he was on his way to helping Regulus and maybe even Severus as well, just by being there and being a friend.

On a whim, and rather out of character for him, Harry pulled Peter into a hug. "I'm sorry," he repeated. Peter nodded against his shoulder, then pulled away. "I know I sometimes have a short temper and I say and do things I don't mean. But I _swear_ I won't ever abandon you, Pete. _Ever_."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"So…friends?" Peter asked hopefully, extending his hand. Harry smiled, but shook his head.

"Brothers," he corrected. "Friends will fight and may never speak to each other again. Brothers will fight, too, but they will never abandon one another, no matter how angry they are."

Peter smiled. "Brothers, then." Harry nodded and shook Peter's still-outstretched hand, then Peter yawned, which set Harry off.

"I'm a tired brother," Harry said around another yawn. "G'night, Pete."

"G'night, Harry. And tomorrow you'll explain why you call me Pete or Peter, but never Wormtail."

"Deal," Harry murmured tiredly. He took down Remus's privacy wards then stumbled to his bed. He only took the time to take off his robe, tie, and shirt, then he fell, exhausted, into bed wearing just his trousers.

Harry woke slowly the next morning to murmuring in the dorm.

"—wake him up?"

"He looked exhausted last night. We should probably give him a little longer."

"I don't feel like being hexed this early in the morning, either."

"If you don't keep your voices down, he'll wake up anyway."

"Too late. I'm already awake," Harry grumbled as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. James, Sirius, and Remus were standing around, obviously debating whether or not to wake him. From the sound of running water, Harry assumed Peter was in the shower. "I guarantee, though, that if you'd tried to wake me, you would have been hexed," he added pointedly. Then Harry stumbled out of bed and got changed, deciding to leave his shower for that night. The others exchanged a look and a shrug and continued their morning routine.

It wasn't until nearly bedtime that night that Harry could really ponder what he and Tonks had discovered the night before. But he indicated that he didn't want to be disturbed and went up to the dorm. He did his usual Occlumency exercises, gratified to find that it was nearly effortless now and his mind was as organized as he'd always hoped it would be. Then he took some time to ponder what he'd learned.

Harry knew he'd be in the past for at least two more years, probably closer to three because it was unlikely his younger self would do any extreme accidental magic before he was a year old. On the one hand, Harry was thrilled he'd get to spend even that much time with the Marauders and the others, but on the other hand, he knew that would make it infinitely harder to leave. Because surely he'd choose to leave, wouldn't he? Harry supposed he wouldn't really know until he was faced with the choice. Tonks would almost certainly choose to return; could Harry stay without her?

Before long, though, Harry found himself pondering on what, exactly, he and Tonks were meant to change. He'd always had the vague hope, since arriving in the past, that maybe he could save his parents and Sirius and spare Remus twelve lonely years. But was he meant to change that? His status as the boy-who-lived and subsequent circumstances, however distasteful Harry found them, were very much a defining part of who he was. Would his younger counterpart grow up to be very different from Harry, if the changes happened?

Naturally, this train of thought led Harry to remember Voldemort, who was still out there and only growing stronger while he sat safely inside Hogwarts, and all the trials Harry himself had faced—a very depressing thing to ponder indeed. If he had his way, Harry hoped that, somehow, Voldemort could be defeated before that fateful Halloween, and therefore he'd save everyone. But he didn't know how, and while he knew of his "destiny" in his own time, he didn't particularly want to be forced to live it out in this one—despite his personal drive to end the Dark Lord.

Unsurprisingly, Harry fell asleep with these depressing thoughts whirling around in his mind, and for the first time in months, he had nightmares. It was nothing specific, really, mostly just a desperate feeling of hopelessness and grief, ending—as always—with high cackling laughter and a flash of green light.

He woke with a stifled gasp in the early hours of the morning, his body shaking slightly. Harry curled into a ball on his side, hoping no one noticed. It wasn't that much of a surprise, though, when not too much later another stifled gasp cut the silence and Harry saw movement on Sirius's bed. From their…altercation, for lack of a better word, the day after returning from the holidays, Harry knew better than to try and talk to him. Sirius would just brush it off and put on his mask, trying to tough it out. He was far too stubborn for his own good.

Harry lay awake for a while, trying to banish the remnants of his dreams, eventually falling into a light slumber as dawn approached. It was with great reluctance that he awoke and got ready for the day at the usual time. He'd almost successfully forgotten about his nightmare amidst the usual antics of the Marauders in the morning—good-natured ribbing about Sirius's slight obsession with his hair, the way James would comb his hair and then ruffle it with one hand, eye himself critically in the mirror, and comb it again, Remus's insistence that his clothing was neat and perfectly up to standard, and Harry and Peter laughing at all of them while they could care less about their appearance. Then they got to breakfast and the mail came.

As usual, the mail arrived with a great whooshing of wings as the owls swooped into the Hall to deliver their letters and parcels. It was all perfectly normal, until James, expecting the weekly letter from his parents, spotted several black owls amidst the usual swarm of tawny and brown with the occasional streak of white or tan.

"Another attack?" Remus murmured when James pointed them out. Though not a regular occurrence by any means, every now and then, perhaps about once every month or two, there was an attack by Death Eaters, usually on muggle settlements or the residences of known muggleborns or half-bloods. The morning following, the Ministry of Magic would send the unfortunate news to Hogwarts students of the death of a loved one in the attack.

"Looks like it," Sirius murmured as a fourth-year Ravenclaw boy fled the Great Hall after receiving one of such messages. The Slytherin table was suspiciously devoid of said messages.

Harry's stomach clenched. That hadn't happened in his time, because Voldemort was not officially declared "back" until summertime, and little had happened until then. But now, looking at the black owls as they delivered their bad news and the devastation on the recipients' faces, he felt sick. Tonks happened to look his way and catch his eye, and she offered him an encouraging smile that he was only faintly able to return.

"Harry? You all right?" Peter asked quietly from beside him. "You've gone pale."

"It's terrible, all these students who are losing family members because of some upstart half-blood bigot," Harry answered, all but snarling the last word.

"Half-blood?" Three voices asked at the same time. "What do you mean, he's a half-blood?"

"Exactly that. Voldemort is a half-blood," Harry stated. At the incredulous looks he'd received, he simply raised an eyebrow. "What, you think I spend all that time in the library for fun? I'm researching. Have you ever tried looking up Tom Riddle? He's got a trophy in the display case on the fourth floor; surely you've seen it before during a detention or something."

With that Harry got to his feet and left the Great Hall, his appetite gone. He headed for the Transfiguration classroom, where their first class would be that morning, but he had little desire to study. He wanted to be out there doing something, even if there was hardly anything he _could_ do at present. He just couldn't bear to sit around and do nothing.

To Harry's surprise, he wasn't the first one there, despite being nearly twenty minutes early. A sixth-year Hufflepuff whose name he couldn't quite recall was seated at a desk toward the back left corner of the room. The boy had his head bowed, and a scrap of parchment with an official seal was crumpled in his shaking hand. Longish wavy brown hair hid his face, but Harry didn't have a hard time guessing what his expression might be. Foregoing his usual seat, Harry headed toward the boy and sat beside him. The boy looked up at the scraping of the chair and Harry offered a friendly smile.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," the other boy answered, though it came out as a sigh.

"You got one of those letters this morning, didn't you."

He nodded. "My mum," he said, and his voice cracked.

"I'm not going to tell you it's going to be okay. But I will tell you it gets better," Harry said.

"How do you know?"

Harry smiled faintly. "I lost my godfather over the summer to them."

The other boy paused. "You said it gets better, right?"

"It will, eventually."

The Hufflepuff nodded. "Thanks, Carter."

"You're welcome…" Harry trailed off awkwardly. The boy cracked a smile.

"Adam Donne."

"You're welcome, Adam. And you can call me Harrison, or Harry if you prefer."

"Thanks again, Harris—Harry."

Harry smiled and squeezed Adam's shoulder, then he got to his feet and went to his usual spot as students were filing in and Sirius had given him a look. Adam smiled back faintly and nodded, then one of his friends sat down beside him and engaged him in conversation.

Transfiguration was unusually solemn, even with James and Sirius turning their hedgehogs blue and floating them around the classroom (they were supposed to be turning them into serving platters). They got a few laughs, but mostly they lost points. Of course, being the transfiguration masters they were, they earned them back by the end of class by submitting perfect serving plates (with blue needle-like decorations around the edges, of course).

Charms was much of the same, though Flitwick put an unusual emphasis on the use of charms in a duel. The letters that morning had put everyone back in the mindset for the brewing war. DADA after lunch was a sharp lecture in preparation for a dueling competition Professor Dean was organizing for Eastertime. He listed out spells all his sixth years ought to have memorized by now and gave them a new list of spells to memorize before the end of January. He also re-emphasized the fact that they were all expected to be able to cast at least most of them nonverbally, or they had no right being in his NEWT class. In the current climate, the dueling competition took on a new meaning. It wasn't as much a test of skill to see who was the best, but rather a test to see who would survive the coming conflict.

Potions was the same as always, though Slughorn was introducing even harder potions into the curriculum. Today it was Veritaserum. Not too surprising, James and Sirius (and even Remus and Peter) were trying extra-hard to get it right, so they could take a vial or two for themselves before turning it in. Harry dreaded to think what kind of prank they could pull with the truth serum. It was a tricky potion to get right, requiring very precise temperatures and conditions, and they would only have time to begin it today; it needed to stew for some time before it could be finished. As it was so tricky, there was little conversation as each student did their best to focus. So it was a slight surprise when Severus spoke to Harry while he was stirring.

"Finally over your funk, then?" he murmured, keeping his voice low.

"What funk?" Harry asked.

"You know, the one where you're angry at everyone and everything for no good reason? I thought that was _my_ forte," Severus said dryly. Harry chuckled a little.

"I suppose," he answered, then he lapsed back into the slightly brooding silence he'd had since morning.

"And entered another one, it seems," Severus muttered. "I swear to Merlin, you have worse mood swings than a girl sometimes."

"I do not have _mood swings_. There is always a perfectly good reason for whatever mood I'm in at a given moment."

"Oh, right. I forgot. It's _Lupin_ who has the mood swings."

Harry gave him a sharp look. "Now what are you on about?"

Severus scoffed. "Please, don't tell me you haven't noticed. You _do_ live with him. At unusually… _regular_ intervals he gets abnormally irritable or absurdly cheerful."

"So do you," Harry retorted, knowing perfectly well what Severus was hinting at but not willing to even give it any consideration. "It's part of being a _teenager_. You know, puberty? Though, I will admit I've never seen you 'absurdly cheerful' before. Your wit just gets sharper."

Severus scoffed. "At least someone appreciates my wit," he muttered. "Honestly, everyone but you and Regulus are too thick to get it."

"You're welcome, o great potions master. I think that's twelve stirs now," Harry quipped. Severus glanced at his potion and barely stopped his hand from making one more revolution, cursing as he did.

"Thanks," he muttered. Harry grinned.

"No problem. Can't have my rival messing up something so simple as the number of stirs," he replied. Then they lapsed into silence again. Harry ignored the looks he got from the other Marauders and even Lily. All of them were shocked that they had carried out a civil conversation, _while_ brewing the most difficult potion so far. Well, Remus wasn't as surprised, as he was the only one who readily admitted that Harry was friendly with Severus, and several other Slytherins as well. The others kept trying to deny it or simply overlooked it as another abnormality of the enigma that was Harrison Carter.

Finally, Potions ended—with Harry and Severus, once again, turning in the best potion in the class. Closely following them was Lily, then James and Sirius, and the others trickled down to the worst coming from the single Hufflepuff in the class. He wore a sheepish expression as Slughorn clucked over his greyish green solution, when everyone else's was at least some variation of blue, where it was supposed to be at this stage of the brewing process.

After Potions was Arithmancy, which was no different from before. Harry was starting to doubt the wisdom of taking this class, now that his advantage had vanished—he'd only studied ahead as far as the end of last term. Now it was completely new material, and he was having trouble wrapping his head around it. By the end of class, he was certain that the only way he'd actually pass was because Remus was helping him.

Finally, it was dinner time. By now the school was buzzing with the names of those who'd received the letters that morning, and Harry's earlier brooding mood returned. He didn't know how to help, and he hated being stuck. The most he could do was offer marginal encouragement, like he had for Adam that morning in Transfiguration. His words were appreciated by the few he managed to talk to, but words wouldn't make the problem go away.

Fortunately, that weekend he received a distraction in the form of a birthday greeting from one James Potter to one Lily Evans.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! You may or may not agree with my reasoning for the time travel. That's fine, but that's how it's going to happen. Additionally, I have something fun planned for James and Lily, but Harry won't be there. The chapter will be complete with or without it. So if you want it included as part of the next chapter from James's perspective, leave a review! More suggestions for James-Lily drama for future chapters are welcome, too.


	27. A Very Jily Birthday

Thanks for all the responses to my last chapter! Your reviews always make me smile. Also, thanks to those reviewers who pointed out an error in my dates last chapter! I've fixed it now. Sorry for the confusion! Please, feel free to point out errors or inconsistencies like that in your reviews; it helps me become a better writer.

Additionally, thank you for all those who threw in their lot with seeing Jily in this chapter. Unfortunately, it was already long enough without the three-page telling of just James and Lily, so I won't include it here. _However_ , before you all get upset with me, I _will_ be posting it to _Rose-Colored Lenses_ , the companion piece to this story with relevant scenes from a different perspective. So you'll still get to see what went down. BTW, I'm still taking suggestions on scenes to write from a new perspective, so please, tell me your favorite scenes, and you might see them show up in _Rose-Colored Lenses_ from a different character's point of view!

Sorry for this extra-long author's note. On to the chapter!

 **Chapter 28 A Very Jily Birthday**

Lily's birthday was on January 30. For four days leading up to it, James was frantically trying to come up with some way to wish her happy birthday. All the Marauders plus Tonks were huddled in a corner under a _muffliato_ spell, so no one would overhear their plans and give it away. Harry and Remus had forcefully dissuaded James from pranking her, or at least pranking her person. Peter had suggested a charmed birthday card, either one that changed colors or erupted in confetti or something when opened. James had latched onto that idea, but he also wanted to give her something more memorable. They tossed around gift ideas, but Tonks, who was helping and trying to do damage control before it happened, shot down most of them as impersonal or too personal or simply too cheesy. Finally, Tonks had had enough.

"Why don't you just make her a picnic or something?"

James suddenly brightened. "That's brilliant, Jos!" he exclaimed. Harry quirked an eyebrow at James's use of the nickname—he'd never used it before. Tonks looked a little incredulous, too, but she didn't comment. James immediately put his head together with Sirius, Remus, and Peter to plan the location, the menu, the decorations, how they were going to get Lily there ("Don't you _dare_ trick her. Be honest! If you don't want to spoil the surprise, say you didn't want to make a big deal of the gift presentation and would she come with you?" Tonks interrupted when she heard some of the ideas being tossed around. "And don't make it too elaborate, or she'll get the wrong idea!"), etc.

As Harry listened and occasionally commented, he couldn't help but be impressed by how much James knew about Lily. He knew her favorite foods, her favorite flowers, her favorite tea and drink, her favorite color, and dozens of other innocuous details that usually only best friends knew. Harry suspected he'd asked her roommates for some of them. He was also a little surprised at how much James was hoping all would go well. Harry knew James loved Lily (Harry wouldn't exist if he hadn't) but he hadn't really realized that that kind of love existed long before they started dating. No wonder he always made a fool of himself around her.

"Maybe you should prepare a script, too," Sirius suggested after a while. James looked horrified.

"Oh no! You're right; what if everything is perfect and then I bugger it all up by saying the wrong thing? Hurry, Padfoot. Help me!"

"I don't think Padfoot is the one you should be asking," Remus said mildly, smirking a little. "In fact, you'd probably be better off without his help."

"Oi!" Sirius protested. Harry snorted as Peter spoke.

"Moony is probably right, though. The only one with a bigger mouth than you is Sirius."

"I have a better idea," Harry interrupted as Sirius sputtered indignantly. They all turned to him expectantly. "Just be on your best behavior and be yourself. If it helps, pretend she's me when you talk to her—I'm the only one you don't make crude jokes to." Harry gave James a pointed look, and he flushed a little at the reminder of the prank last term that had backfired on them, the one where Harry had given him and Sirius a stern lecture on bullying. James's behavior had improved since then, though. Remus smiled sheepishly.

"That's actually a good idea."

"And don't compliment her endlessly," Harry continued. "While I'm sure she loves being told she looks nice, it gets old after the second time. Just talk to her normally. You don't need to impress her; you need to get to know her. Sure, you know all these little details, but do you know what makes her angry, besides your pranks? What makes her sad? Do you know what she liked to do growing up?"

James sheepishly shook his head. "She never wants to give me the time of day, let alone tell me about her family and childhood."

"Then take this as an opportunity to become friends, rather than a bid for her romantic attention," Harry said wisely.

"And when did you get so knowledgeable about girls?" Tonks asked, raising an eyebrow. "It certainly wasn't from me."

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "Hearsay?"

Tonks rolled her eyes, then she fixed him with a pointed stare, her eyes glinting with mischief. "I rather think it has to do with someone named Gi—"

"No!" Harry cut her off, struggling to keep himself from blushing. He'd only just realized at the end of fifth year that he liked her as more than a friend, but there was nothing he could do about it stuck in the past. Besides, she was _Ron's little sister_. Ron would murder him if he ever made a move.

"Does someone have a crush?" Sirius teased.

"Ooh, who is it?" Peter asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"See you guys later; I have Potions homework to do," Harry said hastily, getting to his feet and fleeing the circle. The others laughed, but thankfully James pulled them back into planning his birthday "date" with Lily so he wasn't followed or interrogated further.

That weekend, Sunday in fact, was when it all went down. With the mail, a colorful card that cycled through three different colors—dark blue, maroon, and white—was delivered to the redheaded Gryffindor prefect. It wasn't signed (which Harry thought was probably wise on James's part) but it wished her a happy birthday, after spewing confetti at her. Predictably, the confetti was her favorite color, which was apparently baby blue. Harry caught James blushing, a wide smile on his face, when Lily smiled faintly at the card before setting it aside to continue her breakfast. He bumped his friend's shoulder and murmured "good job." James's grin only got bigger while his blush deepened.

Since there were no classes, most of the students hung out in the library or their common rooms. The Gryffindor common room was populated by students fourth year and younger and sixth years, for the most part. The majority of the OWL and NEWT students were in the library, though a pair of seventh years were playing wizard's chess in a corner. Lily was there with her roommates, all of them chatting happily. Harry and the Marauders were in their usual spot by the fire, and it was obvious from the way James kept fiddling with his glasses, running his hands through his hair, and jiggling his leg that he was nervous. James had even gotten out the practice snitch Harry had given him for Christmas and was playing with it almost compulsively. They'd planned the picnic for about three o'clock, long enough after lunch that they'd be hungry, but not close enough to dinner to spoil that meal.

It didn't take long before the others were tired of watching James fidget, so they sent him upstairs to wrap the small gift he'd gotten for Lily and get his head on straight before the picnic. Harry had smirked and snatched the snitch right out of the air as James reached for it before he and the others had sent him away. Then he started playing with it, to the amusement of everyone watching. Once Harry thought he saw Lily huff and turn away and he couldn't help but smile a little. Even with longer hair and some effort in his morphing, Harry knew he still looked quite a lot like James, easily mistaken for each other at first glance.

"I think Evans just mistook you for Prongs," Sirius said with a grin.

Harry shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a dashing young bachelor." He nabbed the snitch from the air in the exact instant it was about to make a bid for freedom, and Peter cheered.

"I'm still anxiously awaiting that seeker's match you promised Prongs," Sirius said.

"Me, too," Peter agreed, and Remus nodded.

"I'm waiting for him to remember and declare himself ready. I'd hate to take advantage of him before he's properly prepared."

"Oh, it's nearly time," Remus said, glancing at his watch. The other three sighed collectively.

"I'll get James and put this away," Harry said, indicating the snitch. The others nodded, so Harry headed up to their dorm. He tried not to laugh when he opened the door.

James was pacing the narrow space between his bed and Harry's, about three different outfits strewn across both beds and the shirt he was currently wearing was unbuttoned and untucked. His hair was a mess.

"James, it's nearly time. You might want to get ready."

"It's time already?" James moaned in distress.

"Nearly. Come on; what's the problem?"

"What am I supposed to wear?" James moaned again.

"Your uniform is fine, or what you'd wear to dinner at your parents' place. Now get dressed. Jos is already starting to drop hints."

"Are you sure I can pull this off?" James's voice was muffled by the sweater he was pulling over his head. His already-mussed hair was worse than before.

"Just be yourself, without the smart mouth. And _relax_ , or you'll be more likely to mess up," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, you're worse than my sister."

"Just shut up and tell me I'll do great. Please, Russet?"

Harry rolled his eyes again. "You'll do great, Prongs. Now at least try to do something with your hair so we can go."

"That's a lost cause," James lamented, shaking his head. He finished tucking in his shirt and looked to Harry for approval. He gave the other boy a short nod—James looked very smart with the sweater over a white button-down with his black trousers from the school uniform.

"Ready, then?"

James nervously ran a hand through his hair, which remarkably made it look slightly better, and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

"Then come on," Harry said. He tucked the practice snitch he was still holding back in its box on James's nightstand and led the way out of the dorm. James slipped a small wrapped package into his pocket and followed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, James suddenly stopped short and tried to back away. "I can't do it. I can't do it. She's going to hate me just for trying."

"Shut up and go," Harry said, giving James a shove toward where Lily still sat with her roommates. James stumbled and glared at Harry, though it was hardly threatening, then he squared his shoulders and headed over.

"H-hey, Evans," he said when he was close enough.

Lily looked up. "Potter," she acknowledged, then she looked down again at her book. James glanced over his shoulder toward where Harry was standing with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. All four of them mouthed _do it!_

"H-happy birthday," James said nervously, his fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair or wring his hands together.

"Ooh, did you get her a present?" Tonks asked, because Lily wouldn't. Her roommates gave James an expectant look.

"I…I did, actually. But…I, well, I was…I was hoping—no, that's not right. I…I'd rather not give it where everyone can see. Right. So, er, would you…would you come with me? So I can give it to you?"

Mary and Alice giggled at how nervous James was.

"Why can't you give it to me here?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow and a suspicious look.

"Well...it's a little bigger than I can carry. And…I know you don't usually like being the center of attention. So…please?"

"Go on, Lily. He's made the effort to be civil; you could at least return the favor," Tonks said.

"Exactly. Go on, Lily. If he hurts you somehow or pranks you, we'll be sure to avenge you," Marlene added, giving James a dangerous look that made him gulp.

Lily gave James a hard look. "Fine. But just for a minute." She stood up and only a sharp look from Tonks kept James from cheering at his success.

"Remember, classroom 4-E," Remus murmured as James and Lily passed the group of boys.

"And Tippy."

"Be yourself."

"Good luck!"

James gave them all a grateful, nervous look, then he pushed open the portrait hole and motioned for Lily to go first. She glanced at him suspiciously, but eventually passed through with James right behind her.

"And there he goes," Sirius said with false lament, dramatically falling back into his seat.

"All grown up and going on a date with Lily Evans," Peter added with a grin, echoing Sirius's dramatic fall. Ever since the night he'd confided in Harry, Peter had opened up more. He seemed more relaxed and confident in himself, more likely to offer ideas and join in the banter with his own brand of dry wit. To Remus's and Harry's endless amusement, it still often went over James's and Sirius's heads. But mostly it was the little comments like that one that revealed the change.

"Now we just have to hope he doesn't dig his own grave by opening his big mouth," Harry said with a smirk.

"That might be too much to hope for," Remus said sagely, but the mischief in his eyes belied his serious tone.

"I'd be more worried about him being so nervous he can't talk to her at all," Peter said.

"That is a valid concern. He was stuttering like no other," Harry said with a faint smile. It was fun to take the mickey out of James for his obvious infatuation with Lily, but mostly it gave him a warm feeling inside, seeing his parents' relationship begin to blossom.

"Don't tease him too much, guys," Marlene called lightly from the nearby grouping of chairs where she sat with Mary, Alice, and Tonks. "Or there won't be anything left for us to do," she added, smirking.

"Your concern is duly noted," Remus acknowledged with a nod.

"And utterly disregarded," Peter added, grinning. All four girls chuckled, then returned to their own conversation.

"That was my line, Wormtail!" Sirius protested, though his eyes glinted with mirth. Harry failed to completely disguise his grimace at hearing that nickname again. It had too many bad memories attached to it.

"Well, you were too slow," Peter pointed out. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Harry and Remus chuckled while Sirius adopted a hurt look. Sirius _was_ usually the fastest to come up with clever retorts, but Peter was beginning to catch up to him.

"I'm not sure he is, Pete," Harry began, pretending to examine Sirius closely. "He _does_ look a bit peaky."

"Could it be he's already experiencing withdrawal?" Remus asked with false concern.

"From what?"

"I think that might be it, Moony. I've seen these symptoms before," Harry said, shaking his head. "It doesn't look good."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius interjected again. By now the girls, who were apparently listening in, were all chuckling. Harry was doing his best not to do the same.

Peter gave a dramatic sigh. "We should have tried to prepare him for this eventuality much sooner. The poor fellow doesn't know what to do with himself anymore."

"Hey!" Sirius complained. When the others just gave him a poor mask of innocence, he pouted. "I don't get it."

The others shrugged and shared a grin. It was just too much fun taking the mickey out of him, especially when he didn't realize they were teasing him.

"Oh yeah," Peter said suddenly, abruptly turning to Harry. "You promised to tell me why you don't ever call me Wormtail."

Harry again failed to completely hide his grimace. Realization suddenly dawned on Remus's and Sirius's faces—it was true. While Sirius used the nickname the most, James and Remus tossed it around pretty often as well. However, not once had they ever heard Harry use it, even though he used all the other nicknames. "You're right; I did."

"So? Why don't you? It's not that I'm hurt at all; I've never been a fan of the name either." Peter gave Sirius a mock dirty lock as he said this. "It was just the lesser of many evils, and ended up sticking because we couldn't come up with anything else."

"I thought it was clever," Sirius pouted.

"It is," Remus said. "But it probably wasn't the best we could do."

"So why don't you ever use it, Harry?" Peter asked.

Harry tried not to sigh—yet another thing he'd have to bend the truth about. He could hardly tell the Marauders that one of their best friends would turn traitor, grovel at the feet of a psychopath, and then resurrect said psychopath, the Dark Lord, by cutting off his own hand. But Harry did the best he could. "I knew someone once with a very similar nickname, and he was one of the sorriest excuses for a human being that I ever had the misfortune of meeting." Harry spat out the words, alarming the others with his strong reaction. "He also, well, more or less held a personal grudge against me and…well, let's just say it brings back bad memories."

"…That's not at all what I was expecting," Peter replied after a moment. Then he gave Harry a critical look. "Is that all?"

Harry couldn't help the quirk of his lips. Peter always was the most observant of the lot. "That's the main reason. But it's also kind of a dumb nickname. No offense," Harry said hastily when Sirius looked defensive. Harry shrugged sheepishly and Sirius backed down. "I mean, all the others sound cool. But after accomplishing something so difficult as that transformation, and all you could think about was that his tail looks like a worm?"

"Can you think of something better?" Sirius challenged, without malice but very matter-of-fact.

"Not off the top of my head," Harry admitted. "Would you actually change it if I did, though? It's stuck for a while now. How long has it been? Two years? Three?"

"Two and a half," Remus stated. "And…probably not," he said, shrugging.

"If you think of anything good, though, you can adopt it," Peter offered, speaking to Harry. "I…well, I like the nicknames, even if mine isn't the coolest one out there. It reminds me of what I accomplished, and reminds me that I belong." Peter blushed a little at the confession.

"I'll see what I can do. But for the time being, I'll just call you Pete," Harry said with a smile.

Conversation flowed easily from there, Sirius coaxing the others into a game of exploding snap after a little while. Sirius, as expected, won the most rounds, but Harry, Peter, and Remus each took one victory as well. Harry was just reaching to remove a card when a loud _bang_ sent the whole thing tumbling to the ground with a muffled _boom_ that was almost drowned out by the surprised shouts from everyone nearby. Harry looked up and glimpsed a head of auburn hair rush past, a furious expression on her face, then the portrait hole closed again. Harry and the others exchanged a look.

"Something went wrong," Remus murmured, unaware that his eyebrows were singed and there was now soot on his face. Peter nodded, shaking his head a little to get more soot out of his hair.

"You didn't actually put those trick candles on the cake, did you, Padfoot?" Harry asked.

"No way! I don't want Prongs to hate me for ruining his date."

"More likely James said something he shouldn't have," Peter said worriedly. "You know how his mouth gets away with him sometimes."

"But still, they were gone for a while, so it must have at least started out well," Remus said hopefully. "Do you think she'll forgive him?"

"I hope so," Harry said. He glanced up and his eyes widened. "Damn," he murmured. The others looked up at his voice and followed his gaze to the portrait hole. James trudged in, his head bowed, his hair mussed, and he was shuffling his feet. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets.

"That bad?" Remus asked as James sank heavily into the seat between him and Harry. Sirius and Peter quickly moved to make room for him while still staying close.

"Worse," James replied, and his voice cracked.

"What the hell happened?" Sirius asked.

James shook his head. "I opened my big mouth, and now she never wants to speak to me again." He lowered his eyes. "And she'd just agreed to give me a second chance. I didn't even have a chance to give her the real present," he said, withdrawing the silver-wrapped package from his pocket. They all saw the care with which he'd wrapped it, being ever so careful to make sure the edges matched up exactly and that there were no wrinkles or creases. Then James sighed heavily and stuffed it back in his pocket.

Harry put a hand on his shoulder and Sirius grasped his arm. None of them knew what to say. With his free hand James reached up and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, pushing them up onto his forehead.

"I guess this is what it feels like to have a broken heart," he murmured, his voice cracking again, and Harry saw the wet spot on his hand from when he rubbed his eyes. Remus squeezed his other shoulder and Peter had moved to the floor, putting a hand on James's knee. James looked up, his mouth partly open, then his eyes widened. The others followed his gaze to see Lily standing on the staircase to the girls' dorms, Tonks behind her with her arms crossed. Lily's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she scowled and vanished back up the stairs. James bowed his head and didn't bother to wipe away the moisture this time.

It took two weeks for James to go back to his normal self. Two weeks in which all of the Marauders—including Harry—would glare at Lily every time she gave them a disapproving look; even her roommates were clearly disappointed with her behavior. Two weeks in which most of the school thought James Potter had tried to trick Lily Evans into going on a date with him before he messed everything up by making a move on her. After the first three days they quit bothering to correct the rumors, because no one wanted to listen to the truth. Not that anyone besides James and Lily knew what had happened. James still refused to elaborate, and Lily wouldn't say anything either.

Not even Harry could stop Severus from making fun of James for screwing things up with Lily, which of course led to more tension between him and the Marauders. James felt too guilty to try and correct Severus, and maybe even felt like he deserved it, so he didn't bother to defend himself. Sirius, on the other hand, took every insult to James as a personal affront. No matter what Harry said or did, the two of them got into numerous scrapes in the corridors and at least a dozen detentions each. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin lost at least a hundred points each during those two weeks just from Sirius and Severus dueling in the corridors.

Finally, a few days before Valentine's day, James let himself be talked into trying to make things up to Lily. None of them knew what exactly had happened; James refused to say, and after the first few times he rebuffed their questions, they stopped trying. So, on February fourteenth, James sent a simple note to Lily asking if they could talk (and he hadn't been able to resist giving her a bar of Honeydukes chocolate, though it was delivered by Harry so she would actually accept it, rather than tossing it in the rubbish because she thought it was pranked).

Lily refused to go alone, so when they met in a lesser-used corridor towards the end of lunch, Alice and Tonks were with her—Alice to be on Lily's side, and Tonks to be on James's side. That was because whatever affected James affected Harry, and Tonks was very invested in Harry's well-being, and in turn the well-being of the other Marauders, both physical and emotional. Harry had accompanied James to be a peacemaker in case things went south (the others would be a little too passionately on James's side), but he stood out of the way.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily demanded. "Here to make fun of me again?"

"Not at all. Just the opposite, actually," he said with a surprising amount of confidence. Harry had half-expected him to stammer like before. "I want to properly apologize for what I said. To be honest, I still think it's true—watching you turn completely red _was_ funny—but I still shouldn't have said it, or done it in the first place."

Lily scoffed. "That's your idea of an apology?"

James gritted his teeth. "Look, do you want me to lie and say I'm sorry for all of it and I didn't think anything was funny? Or do you want me to be honest?" he said angrily. "You've got to make up your mind, Evans. If you expect me to be perfect, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you keep painting me as the perpetual bad guy, as an attention-seeking, _arrogant toe-rag_ , you're going to miss who I _really_ am."

"And who are you _really_ , James Potter?" Lily challenged.

"I'm an immature sixteen-year-old boy who's in love with a beautiful girl, and I'm doing my best to be her—to be _your_ —friend and making a fool of myself in the process!" James retorted, half-shouting by the end and throwing his hands up in frustration. His face turned bright red, but whether from anger or embarrassment at what came out of his mouth, Harry couldn't tell.

Lily had her mouth open, but clearly whatever she was going to say no longer applied. Alice choked, and Harry couldn't tell if it was surprise or if she was trying not to laugh. Tonks had a smug, knowing smile on her face. Lily evidently didn't know what to say, so for a long moment they just glared at each other. James's face grew redder by the moment, and even Lily started to look flustered. Finally, she broke away.

"Look, Potter. I don't know what it is you're trying to do, but leave me out of it. I do not return your feelings, and I don't ever plan to." With that she turned and stomped away. James watched her, openmouthed, for a long moment, then his expression turned resigned, which was almost worse than the depression from before. Alice chased after Lily and, after giving James an apologetic look, Tonks chased after the both of them.

Harry approached James and put his hand on the other's shoulder. "I guess I really shouldn't have expected anything else," he said, smiling humorlessly.

"Don't give up yet, James. Give her a break; she'll come around." _Or at least, she'd better_ , Harry thought fiercely.

"You really think so?"

"I know so," Harry answered cheekily. It was impossible for a person to vanish from existence, according to the time-travel books Harry had been researching at his leisure since he and Tonks had discovered the main answer to their dilemma. So somehow, a person's parents had to get together at least once.

James scoffed a little. "What are you, a seer?"

Harry grinned. "Maybe I am," he answered mysteriously. James laughed, and Harry knew he'd be perfectly okay.

Later in the common room, the other Marauders interrogated James and Harry about the former's "talk" with Lily.

"So, how'd it go?" Sirius asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Same as always," James answered with a shrug. "She's always rejected me; this last time was just a lot bigger than usual. But she'll come around. I know it," he said, giving Harry a wry look.

"Does that mean we don't have to worry about you crying in the dark anymore?" Peter asked teasingly.

"Oi! I don't cry; I brood. It's different!" James protested.

"Oh yes, very different," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"It _is_ different! Padfoot, Russet, make them see sense!"

Sirius and Harry exchanged a look. "He's going to be just fine," Harry said, grinning. Sirius nodded in agreement. Then, as one, they tackled the other three to the ground. Amidst protests, James, Remus, and Peter tried to force their way to freedom, and their struggles quickly turned into a free-for-all wrestling match. When Tonks descended from the girls' dorm and she saw the knot of boys rolling around on the floor in front of the fireplace, she grinned to herself. Yes, everything was going to be just fine.

A/N: Thanks for reading! There's a Quidditch game next chapter, but things are moving a little slowly and I've got some big plans soon. So, do y'all want me to expand the game like I did the last one, or give it a few short paragraphs and move the plot along? Leave your answer in a review please!


	28. Transition

Here's the next chapter! Sorry it's been a bit of a wait; I faced a bit of writer's block. This chapter turned into a little more filler than I'd like, but nothing is irrelevant. I'd also like to thank guest reviewer Roxanne for reminding me of how important the full moons are to the Marauders. That review was the inspiration I needed to finish this chapter. Happy reading!

PS: Just a heads-up, there are some deliberate spelling changes toward the end. You'll understand why when you get there.

 **Chapter 29 Transition**

After Valentine's Day was Quidditch. The match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was set for the third Saturday of February, the weekend after Valentine's Day. Everyone was excited about it, as Ravenclaw had played Slytherin two weeks beforehand and won, by a wider margin than Gryffindor had back in November but still just barely. As Ravenclaw had also beaten Hufflepuff in their match shortly before Christmas, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were currently the top teams in the running for the Quidditch cup, conditioned on the fact that Gryffindor also beat Hufflepuff. There was none of the fierce tension between the lions and the eagles as there was when Gryffindor played Slytherin, but the excitement was high.

The weather the day of the match was perfect—cold and mostly overcast, with a light breeze but no threat of impending rain or snow. It was also exactly what James needed to come completely out of his funk about Lily's latest rejection. He was eager to be back in the air, and Sirius was right there with him. Most of the school came down to the pitch to watch, sporting either red or blue for whichever team they favored. Unsurprisingly, even though Ravenclaw had beaten Slytherin, most of the students from that house were wearing Ravenclaw colors—anyone was better than Gryffindor, apparently.

Harry joined Peter, Tonks, Lily, Mary, and Alice in the stands. Marlene, Sirius, and James were down in the locker rooms with the rest of the team, and Remus was already on the commentator box. They waited eagerly for the teams to be announced and the game to begin.

"Sure you don't wish you were out there?" Tonks asked Harry teasingly. He shook his head.

"As much as I love Quidditch, it's mostly the flying I miss," he answered. Though he had his broomstick, his trusty Firebolt, locked away in his trunk, he hadn't had an opportunity to fly since Christmas. He was constantly busy with schoolwork, classes, or Marauder pranks, and until a few weeks ago he'd been busy with time travel research as well. If James didn't bring up the seeker's match he'd promised in the next two weeks, Harry would do it for him.

"I'm personally perfectly happy to keep both my feet on the ground," Peter said. "Rats weren't meant to fly," he added in an undertone, and Harry grinned.

"I bet I can change your mind," he said with a smirk. When he _did_ have time, Harry was still working on his second animagus form, that of a red kite—not the muggle toy, but a bird relatively common to the British Isles. He had so far only managed partial transformations, mostly because he wasn't focusing on it and he didn't have a lot of time. But he was sure that once he finally got the transformation down, he could show Peter, and perhaps Tonks as well (she wasn't fond of broomsticks either, being clumsy enough on the ground) the real joys of flying.

"I'm not getting on a broomstick with you!" Peter exclaimed. "You're suicidal!"

Harry shrugged, smiling. He hadn't been able to resist showing off a little during the few times he and the other Marauders went flying over Christmas break, and while James and Sirius had both been ecstatic about Harry's death-defying stunts, he'd given just about everyone else a near heart attack.

"Who said anything about a broomstick?" Harry replied cryptically. Peter opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by the cheers of the crowd as the two Quidditch teams took to the field.

The game was fast-paced, and a much better demonstration of skill than Gryffindor's previous match with Slytherin. For one, the Ravenclaws actually followed the rules (though that didn't stop them from bending a few). For two, the bookish students made excellent use of textbook plays that often left the Gryffindor players—and the crowd—reeling from their perfect execution.

Remus was a veritable fountain of knowledge of such plays, his closet obsession with Quidditch mingling with his Ravenclaw tendencies. He happily expounded James's use of the Sloth Grip Roll to get out of the way of a bludger _and_ pass the quaffle to Marlene, who then scored a goal. He was grudgingly impressed by one of the plays by the Ravenclaw beaters, which Remus called the Blockade. And dozens of other moves that Harry had and hadn't seen before were also executed perfectly.

After a tense, close match in which the victory could have gone either way at any point in time, the game ended with a spectacular capture of the snitch, earning Gryffindor their victory with the final score being 270 to 110. The fans in red and gold filled the stands with deafening cheers that drowned out the frustrated exclamations of the Ravenclaw fans.

Immediately following the end of the game, the whole of Gryffindor house, still cheering, marched up to their common room, and before long a victory party was in full swing. James and the rest of the Quidditch team were, of course, the center of attention. Harry was glad to notice, though, that he didn't make as big a deal of it as he usually did.

Obviously, he was still perfectly comfortable in the spotlight and was all to happy to soak up the adoration. But he humbly acknowledged the rest of the team as well—Marlene McKinnon and Thomas Wood, his fellow chasers, Frank Longbottom, keeper (and captain, without whom their plays would have fallen apart), Sirius Black and Danny Coots, beaters, and of course, Cameron Perkins as seeker. Harry noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lily looked surprised by that acknowledgement, and Harry knew that James giving credit to anyone else for his own feats was rare (unless he was trying to evade punishment for one of his schemes). Harry hoped this meant James was deflating his ego a little.

The party lasted long into the night, and partway through Peter and Sirius disappeared, only to reappear with a new batch of firewhiskey and stacks of treats. Harry was fairly sure it would have been James, not Peter, had James not been enjoying the spotlight. Harry raised an eyebrow at the pair of them and they both gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence that fooled no one.

"You did at least pay for it, right?" Harry murmured.

"'Course we did, Russet. You think we're common criminals?" Sirius faked injury.

"Well…" Harry trailed off with a smirk, thinking for perhaps the first time in amusement at future-Sirius's two years on the run.

Sirius looked mortally offended. "It wounds me deeply that you could think so low of me," he said despondently, shaking his head. "I must now find a way to drown my sorrows." With that he took a shot of firewhiskey, winking at Peter, and downed it in one go. From the way he obviously _didn't_ sputter as it went down, Harry knew this was not his first taste. Harry had only had a little once, on a dare from the twins while the whole group of them had been stuck at Grimmauld Place, and he really didn't want a repeat experience.

"I'm not nursing your hangover in the morning," Harry told him matter-of-factly. Sirius shrugged.

"Moony will, though," he said. Then one of Sirius's (female) well-wishers stole his attention quite thoroughly, making Harry gag and turn away. Then Remus appeared at his shoulder. He took one look at Sirius and the seventh-year girl trading shots and kisses and shook his head, partly in amusement and partly in despair.

"I'm not nursing that hangover," Remus said firmly.

"Funny; he said you would," Harry said with a faint smile.

"Nope. He and Prongs can be miserable together while we enjoy our day," Remus said.

"And, of course, take the mickey out of them as often as possible," Peter chimed in, smirking.

"And making it as miserable as possible for them," Remus added.

"Who's for a very loud and unpleasant wake-up call tomorrow at the crack of dawn?" Harry suggested, grinning.

"I'm in," Peter said immediately.

"Count me in," Remus agreed. "And in the meantime, we'll watch the pair of them make a fool of themselves all night."

Peter and Harry grinned and enjoyed the rest of the party, though they stuck to butterbeer. Harry snuck a couple of canary crèmes to James and Sirius and watched in amusement as they turned into oversized, bright yellow birds, made some protesting squawks, then molted back to normal, but now surrounded by a pile of feathers. The crèmes came from his box of pranks Fred and George had given him for his birthday and were preserved under stasis charms. He didn't want to ruin the twins' chances at patenting their inventions by making them widely known too early, but on special occasions like this, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Especially since, by that time, James and Sirius were well and truly drunk. Sirius even continued behaving like a bird, even after his feathers vanished.

At around two in the morning the common room finally emptied. Detritus from the party scattered the carpet, and individuals or small groups, mostly fifth year and above, were passed out on the sofas or on the floor. Sirius was among them. Harry also spotted an unlucky second year sprawled halfway out of a chair, a half-empty bottle of Ogden's Finest disguised as butterbeer on the floor beside him. He hoped neither James nor Sirius was responsible for that prank.

James had somehow managed to make it up to the dorm, but when Harry, Peter, and Remus got there it was to find him sprawled across Peter's bed and snoring loudly, his head where his feet should be. The three exchanged an amused look and set an alarm for themselves for their friends' wake-up call, then got ready for bed. Harry levitated Sirius up to the dorm and let him fall on top of his covers, his arms still wrapped around a cushion from the sofa downstairs.

Harry groaned when the alarm went off the next morning. He might have had a little too much butterbeer, because his head hurt and his mouth was dry. Not to mention he'd only gotten perhaps four hours of sleep. James and Sirius continued snoring, totally oblivious. Harry grumbled a little and got out of bed, but as soon as he caught Peter's gaze—even bleary-eyed, there was an ominous spark of mischief there—he couldn't help smirking in reply.

"Ready?" Remus asked in a whisper. Peter and Harry nodded.

"Ready," they replied in unison. Then they both transformed into their animagus forms. Remus lifted the little brown rat onto the bed James was passed out on, and Russet put his paws on the edge of Sirius's mattress, his tongue lolling in a wolfy grin. Remus readied his wand, smirked, and said,

"Now!"

The little rat stuck his always-slightly-wet nose into James's ear and Russet licked Sirius across the face with enthusiasm, being sure to get his open mouth as well. At the same time Remus set off a stack of fireworks and cast a sound-amplifying spell (thankfully after silencing the dorm). The two animals whined/squeaked in protest as the bangs and booms hurt their more-sensitive hearing, but when James and Sirius startled awake with a yell of surprise that quickly turned into a yell of pain, they deemed it worth it. Then Sirius's face turned green and Russet leapt away just in time to avoid a spray of vomit. Even the wolf gagged at the awful smell. That triggered James, though he at least made it into the bathroom.

"Ugh," Sirius groaned. "My head."

"Serves you right for drinking so much last night," Remus stated, and Russet deliberately barked loudly in agreement. Sirius winced and glared at the reddish-brown wolf. Russet just gave him a wolfy grin before giving a wolf equivalent of a grimace as ne nodded at the mess on Sirius's bedspread. Sirius glanced down at it, then he turned green again and ran for the loo. Russet transformed back. With a grimace and trying not to gag, Harry vanished the vomit.

"It would serve him right to leave it there, but this is my dorm, too," he said.

"Have you set up everything else?" Peter asked—he'd transformed back as well. Remus and Harry both grinned.

"They're in for some nasty surprises today," Remus said, rubbing his hands together.

"You set up the cameras, right, Pete?" Harry asked.

"You bet." Peter had borrowed Tonks's camera, which she'd leant to Harry a few weeks ago, duplicated it, and with a couple of notice-me-not and sticking charms, they'd stuck them up on walls or in corners in the dorm, common room, and any other places James and Sirius were likely to go. They were set to go off intermittently once they sensed either James's or Sirius's magical signature—it was more or less the same charm they'd used on the Marauder's Map, according to Remus, and a very clever bit of magic.

"Perfect." It was Harry's turn to rub his hands together. At the same moment, they heard both showers turn on and twin yells—they'd spelled the water to be ice-cold for the whole day.

"Moony! Wormtail! Russet!" Sirius and James both yelled.

"Ready to go?" Remus asked. Harry and Peter nodded, then the three of them quickly grabbed a clean set of clothes and necessary toiletries, and Remus led the way to the prefect's bathroom. It was early enough it was almost guaranteed to be empty. And if it wasn't—well, they _were_ Marauders.

While Sirius and James had their freezing-cold showers and were forced to use rough bar soap for everything (they'd only charmed their usual stuff invisible), Remus, Harry, and Peter enjoyed a hot, relaxing bath with a variety of different types of shampoo and body wash. Peter even fell asleep for a few minutes, then they shook him awake before he could drown.

While James and Sirius were forced to eat bland porridge for breakfast, Harry, Remus, and Peter feasted on bangers and mash, eggs, bacon, French toast, Belgian waffles, and all manner of other luxury breakfast items (they'd just called in a favor of the house elves).

Then, while James and Sirius tried and failed to take a nap in the dorm due to the intermittent explosions of fireworks on a timer and a few other fun tricks, like short-sheeted beds and a hardening charm on all the mattresses, Peter, Remus, and Harry had a nice long nap in the Room of Requirement on beds that felt like clouds.

By the time those three returned to the dorm, not long before curfew, James and Sirius were utterly exhausted.

"You guys are evil," James complained from where he'd made a bed on the floor of blankets and clothing.

"Pure evil," Sirius agreed. He was just lying on the bare floor, looking miserable.

Remus shrugged. "It's your own fault for being stupid enough to get so drunk last night. _You_ were certainly evil that time you got me and Peter stone-drunk back in fourth year. I'd have thought you'd know better."

"Besides—it was Harry's idea," Peter put in with a shrug.

James and Sirius both looked at their new(er) roommate. "We've corrupted him!" Sirius lamented.

"Completely and utterly corrupted him! James finished dramatically.

"And you've only yourselves to blame," Harry said cheekily. Then he and Remus waved their wands, cancelling all the charms and pranks they'd set up in the room.

"Good night," Peter said with a grin. He stripped out of his uniform and crawled into bed with a satisfied moan. "Mmm, so comfy."

"Evil," Sirius grumbled under his breath, but he followed suit. The others did as well. James and Sirius were almost immediately asleep, though it didn't take much longer before the others were out, too, despite their long nap earlier in the day.

February bled into March as the deep snows began to melt or be washed away by the first of the spring rains. The grounds turned into a muddy swamp, and James and Remus spared no effort in teasing the other three, because they still had Herbology, outside in the greenhouses, twice a week. They'd arrive in their next class—Potions on one day and Charms on the other—with mud up to their knees and sometimes all over their robes as well. The one time they tried to wash it off before coming into the castle only made it worse, because they could only cast so many drying charms before it was a lost cause. So the day before the March full moon Sirius, Harry, and Peter tromped into Charms with damp robes and their shoes squishing with each step. And there were still mud splatters on their robes and trousers.

"Good heavens!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed when they trudged in and took their seats, thankfully still a few minutes early. "You three are soaking wet."

"Sorry, professor," Peter began with a grimace.

"You see, we were forced to take a mud bath—"

"—Herbology, you know—" Sirius cut in with a smirk.

"And when we tried to wash it off—"

"Well, there was too much mud and too much water."

"Not even drying charms could dry it completely," Harry finished with a shrug. "And believe me, we tried."

James and Remus snickered while Flitwick looked the trio up and down. After a moment he waved his wand. Steam rose from their robes, but the thick, heavy cloth was still uncomfortably damp. "I suppose you'll just have to bear with it then," Flitwick said apologetically. They nodded and sat down, grimacing at their friends who were still laughing. Moments later the rest of the class had arrived and the diminutive charms professor started class. Harry, scowling lightly, was fairly sure he'd left the three of them wet on purpose. There was no way the charms master didn't know a spell that would dry them completely in an instant.

The rest of that day—Friday—went by more or less uneventfully. Thanks to the drafty castle, and the rain still falling outside, Harry wasn't fully dry all day. The same went for Sirius and Peter. It wasn't until classes were completely over that they were even able to change—only to find that all their clothes had mysteriously vanished. Remus they might not have suspected, but James was terrible at keeping an innocent look on his face, and he often couldn't resist owning up to a particularly clever or funny prank. And from the satisfied smirk James wore the rest of the evening, Harry, Peter, and Sirius knew exactly who to blame.

The next morning, the morning of the full moon, Remus wasn't the only one who woke with a headache. Sirius had a head cold, Harry had a mild fever, and poor Peter had all of it.

"Progs, I'b going to kill you," Peter grumbled, shivering under his blankets.

"Only after I get a turn." Sirius glared at James, who shrugged sheepishly.

"You could just go to Pomphrey. You'll be right as rain in just a few moments, then no one will have to kill anyone," James suggested evasively. Harry grimaced at the idea of the hospital wing.

"I'd have to be unconscious for you to get _me_ there," he grumbled hoarsely.

"Why don't you all go back to bed and let _me_ sleep a while longer as well?" Remus groused irritably, rolling over onto his stomach with a moan.

"Ooh, I have the perfect revenge," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together. His eyes glinted. "Prongs, since you're the only one _fortunate_ enough to be feeling so well—"

"And since you're _such_ a good friend," Remus added, catching on.

"Why don't you be our errand boy?" Harry finished, grinning.

"He can brig us breakfast first—" Peter began.

"—Don't forget the tea—" Harry cut in.

"Then give me a massage—" Remus suggested wickedly. James paled slightly as they continued tossing out suggestions.

"And get me chocolate," Sirius said.

"Be, too!" Peter put in.

"And then he can be our nursemaid and make sure we're comfortable," Harry continued.

"All. Day. Long." They said together, wearing matching smirks. James looked like he was actually regretting a prank—which may have been a first for him.

"Isn't it ever so lucky we all got sick on a Saturday, when there's no classes?" Sirius said wickedly.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Remus said sharply.

"Yeah. I'b hungry," Peter added. James seemed unwilling to move, so, smirking, Harry shot a stinging jinx at him. James yelped in surprise, caught the evil glint in their eyes, and fled—still wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxer shorts.

The others snickered, then Remus groaned and stumbled out of bed toward the loo. Harry made to follow, but the moment he stood up his head gave a particularly painful throb that made his vision go dark for a second and he fell heavily back onto his bed.

"Ow," he moaned.

"Who's for making Prongs push our beds together when he gets back?" Sirius suggested.

"Aye," Harry raised a hand in agreement, waving it aimlessly.

"Why are you so chipper? You're hardly better than the rest of us." Peter sounded terribly congested, and he coughed when he finished talking.

Though they couldn't see it, Sirius shrugged. "My head feels like it's about to implode and I can't breathe through my nose, but otherwise I'm good."

"Prat," Peter grumbled.

At that moment Remus returned, now shirtless and with a sheen of sweat on his skin, and he still looked a little green. He fell onto his bed with another moan. Harry winced in sympathy.

"At least now we sort of know how you feel once a month," he said.

"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better," Remus mumbled dryly, his voice muffled by his pillow. "Prongs had better get back soon. I hurt all over."

The others made noises of agreement, then it was quiet but for the sounds of snuffling and Sirius's loud breaths through his mouth.

"Snuffles," Harry muttered, and he barely forced down a bubble of laughter. One, the others would think he was delirious (and with how simultaneously hot and cold he felt, maybe they'd be right), and two, it would hurt both his head and his throat. Either way a sort of stifled, breathy grunt escaped and he felt the concerned looks from the others even though he didn't look up.

Some minutes later the door into the dormitory banged open (making all of them protest in some form or another, some more vocal than others) and James returned. He put a large basket on his nightstand and frowned at the rest of them.

"You got me a detention for 'roaming the corridors in inappropriate attire'," he grumbled.

"Your own fault for taking too long to get dressed," Remus grumbled from under his pillow.

"You at least brought food, right?" Harry said hoarsely. He cleared his throat irritably, earning a smirk from Sirius.

"Yes. Needy prats," James retorted, his lips twitching.

"Push the beds together, then hand it out," Sirius ordered.

"Then give me my massage," Remus mumbled.

"And gib be by chocolate," Peter demanded.

"Merlin, Pete. You sound horrible," James said, finally sounding a little concerned.

"No thanks to you," Peter retorted.

"He doesn't sound as bad as Harrison, though," Sirius observed.

"It's _Harry_. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Oh, at least a few hundred times more," Sirius replied with a grin. "Though if you keep it up, you won't be able to talk at all," he added.

Harry rolled his eyes, then jumped as his bed moved. He glanced over to see James grunting as he shoved the heavy bed toward the middle of the room. Harry smirked when James saw him looking, and James scowled.

Moments later the rest of the beds were pushed together, minus James's—he insisted on pushing it as far away from the others' as possible, to avoid "infection," apparently. So four out of five beds were in a big grouping in the middle of the room, and with a bit of transfiguration were turned into one large bed. The food was placed in the middle. Remus, unsurprisingly, didn't eat anything, but the rest ate ravenously.

"Good; you remembered tea with honey." Harry's voice came out scratchy and hoarse. He frowned, even as the others smirked a little, and took a sip of his tea.

"You're welcome," James said irritably, though with a touch of a smile. Harry could tell he was sort of enjoying this. "But, y'know, I think I'm going to leave. So you guys can get some rest. See ya." Then he was out the door (properly dressed this time).

James was in and out the rest of the day. Sometimes the others were sleeping, sometimes they were full of demands. Remus got his massage, which let him relax for perhaps the first time on the day of a full moon, Peter and Sirius got plenty of chocolate, and Harry was glad for the extra blankets when his fever got worse. They also had potions, but those were, unfortunately, only temporary fixes, and for the most part they all refused to take them anyway.

Peter, unfortunately, got worse as the day went on as well. He didn't eat dinner and instead was sleeping restlessly as the time ticked nearer to when Remus had to be out under the Whomping Willow to transform. Harry wasn't a lot better, but he had more experience working through sickness and didn't let on how bad he actually was. Sirius grew irritable, and Harry reminded himself several times throughout the day not to get on his bad side, especially when he was sick. Remus also got worse, until it made him dizzy just to sit up. But an hour or so before sundown, James reappeared.

"It's nearly time to go," he said, just loud enough to be heard. "Are you guys sure you're up for it?"

"'Course I am," Sirius declared, getting to his feet.

"I'm not leaving you three alone," Harry added hoarsely, forcing himself to sit up and ignoring the pounding in his head. He tried to pass his shiver off as a shrug. "Pete?"

Peter's response was to transform and squeak in affirmation. Remus looked about to protest, but a hard look from Harry shut him up and then he looked especially grateful. Harry picked up the little rat whose body was far too warm even for a furred mammal, then forced himself to his feet and pulled on a sweatshirt over his pajamas—none of them had bothered to get dressed, and only Sirius had showered.

"Let's go, then," James said. The others nodded. Sirius pulled on a jumper and jammed his feet into his shoes, forgoing socks. Harry followed suit while James helped Remus pull another sweatshirt over his head and shoes onto his feet. James then pulled the invisibility cloak over them all and they left the dorm. The ragtag group then trudged through the castle and out to the Whomping Willow—a few months beforehand they'd convinced Madame Pomphrey to let them take Remus out to the Shrieking Shack, though she'd still bring him in come morning.

Halfway there, Harry found himself leaning on Sirius while Remus leaned on James, and he shivered violently when they got outside.

"Bloody crazy, the lot of you," James grumbled as Harry stumbled into him before insisting he was fine. "If I get sick because of you, I'm going to prank you mercilessly."

"Warning duly noted," Harry whispered, because it hurt less than speaking normally.

"And discarded," Sirius added with a smirk.

"I'm still surprised you picked up the reading minds thing so quickly," James added conversationally as they crossed the muddy grounds in a fine, chilly mist. Harry was fairly sure he was trying to take their minds off how cold and miserable they were.

"I learned from the best," Harry answered cheekily. Then he shivered violently again as a cold breeze cut through the cloak and their outer clothing.

"Bloody hell, Russet. You're burning up," Sirius muttered.

"Least it means _you_ aren't cold," Harry replied, his teeth chattering so hard it made him dizzy. Sirius wrapped an arm firmly around his shoulders when he stumbled again.

"Bloody crazy," James muttered again, shaking his head. Moments later, they reached the tunnel. They had to crawl through drifted snow to get into it after Peter, in rat form, staggered toward the knot and pressed it to stop the branches from swiping at them. Then he collapsed in the snow beside it, panting heavily. Sirius picked him up as they passed and tucked him into Harry's sweatshirt pocket, where Harry could feel the little rat shivering almost as hard as he himself was.

It was marginally warmer underground. At the very least, there was no wind. Fifteen minutes later they reached the shack. Sirius was the only one who could afford to let go of someone to open the trapdoor. Remus was panting, only barely conscious, and only James's arm around his waist kept him upright. Harry, at least, could stand on his own. Harry and James helped Remus through the trap door, where Sirius was ready to receive him, then James gave Harry a leg up before climbing through himself.

It was even colder in the shack, if that was possible. The wind had picked up while they'd been in the tunnel, and it found every crack to howl through. It was also very damp. With a few banishing charms, James filled the fireplace with ruined furniture and scraps of wood or fabric and lit it with a quick _incendio_. Then the group sat shivering and unspeaking on the cold wooden floor of the shack, waiting for the sun to set and the moon to rise. Remus didn't even have the strength to undress like he usually did before a transformation, at least not on his own. James had to help him while Harry sat shivering under a spare blanket.

While they waited, Harry experienced a hot flash that threatened to send him into unconsciousness. Through a pure effort of will, he forced himself to stay awake. Sirius's elbow jabbing him in the ribs might have helped, too. The only way Harry knew Peter was still awake and conscious was because of him occasionally bumping his nose against Harry's hand.

Only moments later Remus shuddered violently beneath his double layer of blankets and they knew the transformation was beginning. Shivering, Harry handed his blanket to James, who folded it roughly and tossed it onto a high shelf with Remus's blankets. Then James and Sirius transformed, and Harry let Peter out of his pocket. Almost as soon as Sirius finished his transformation, he gave a snuffling sneeze that made Harry snort in surprised laughter.

"Snuffles," he muttered affectionately. Padfoot gave him an offended look while Prongs looked amused. Remus glared at him between muscle spasms, and Harry hurriedly transformed. Russet wasn't much better equipped to deal with fever, but at least his fur kept him warmer. Peter the rat nudged Russet's paw with his nose, and the red wolf lowered his head so the rat could climb on top and sit between his ears—the rat's favorite perch. The little rat, still shivering, burrowed into Russet's fur.

A short while later a tawny werewolf stood in Remus's place. He shook himself and bumped each of his pack members with his muzzle in greeting. Russet's bark of greeting lacked enthusiasm, and Padfoot sounded tired. Wormtail's squeak was barely heard. However, the werewolf was anxious to play. He immediately tackled his favorite playmate—Padfoot—to initiate a wrestling match.

Padfoot was happy to oblige at first, but the large dog quickly grew tired, so Moony turned to his second-favorite playmate—Russet. Without giving him a chance to get the rat to safety, Moony pounced. Russet dodged, but the sudden motion dislodged Wormtail, who was too weak now to hold on. He tumbled to the ground with the equivalent of a yelp and failed to move in time to dodge a playful swipe from Moony. His claw dragged across the rat's back and all the animals gave a cry of alarm. Russet immediately tackled Moony away from Wormtail, which ensured the wound wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Unfortunately, Moony didn't seem to have realized he'd hurt his companion, and happily engaged in a play fight with Russet. When Russet didn't comply as readily as Moony wanted to—he was barely conscious, mostly running on instinct and adrenaline—Moony got frustrated. Prongs had to step in and keep the werewolf busy, with some help from Padfoot, while Russet tended to Wormtail.

The night seemed to last forever, and Moony kept everyone awake by continuing to make bids to play when they least expected it. All of them ended up with minor injuries, though Russet took the brunt of it because he was the weakest, next to Wormtail. When the moon finally began to set, all of them were exhausted. Wormtail was unconscious, Russet was shaky and more than a little out of it, Padfoot was snuffling worse than ever, and Prongs was trying to keep Moony under control as the transformation began again—the werewolf always got irritable and restless right before transforming back.

Finally, Moony returned to human form and the rest transformed back, with the exception of Peter, who was still unconscious. Harry curled into a ball on his side, shivering uncontrollably even with a sheen of sweat on his skin, while black spots swam before his eyes. Sirius sneezed and shook his head like Padfoot would.

"Is eb'ryone okay?" he asked. His words seemed to come from a long way away to Harry.

James smiled a little; he couldn't summon the energy to laugh. "You sound as bad as Peter did this morning—er, yesterday morning, I guess."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at James, then glanced at Harry, and consequently at Peter, still in rat form, passed out by Harry's head with blood leaking sluggishly from the wound on his back. "Bloody hell," he grumbled. With a muttered spell, he conjured bandages around the cut and lifted the rat into his pocket. Then he looked up. "A little help, Progs?"

James obliged, and together they hauled Harry to his feet. James shed his robe and draped it over Harry's shaking shoulders. "Blimey, Harry. That's some fever," James said in a low voice.

"Tell me about it," Harry replied, his voice nearly inaudible—he'd just about lost his voice completely by now.

"Let's get inside, then we can deal with this," Sirius said. James nodded, casting a regretful look at Remus. He was uninjured and conscious but trembling slightly from cold despite the multiple blankets wrapped around him. James had helped him dress, but clearly even four layers of cloth wasn't enough. He cast a few warming spells and Sirius, catching on, did the same.

"I hope Pomphrey hurries up," James said quietly. Sirius nodded in agreement, then the three of them stumbled out of the Shrieking Shack, Harry supported between the other two and still shaking from both cold and fever.

"Baybe we should call you Quiver," Sirius quipped.

"Only if I can call you Snuffles," Harry cheeked back, a half-smile appearing on his face even though his eyes were glassy from the fever.

"How are you even still conscious?" James wondered aloud. "I'd have passed out ages ago."

"I'm trying bloody hard not to," Harry grumbled, the good humor gone in an instant as he winced.

James wisely didn't reply, and even Sirius didn't protest Harry's possible new nickname for him as they crossed the grounds, which were now covered in a few inches of snow. There were deep drifts against the castle walls and on the steps up to the main entrance, though, evidence that the strong winds had continued through the night. The sun was just beginning to rise, staining the clouds pink.

Some minutes later the group finally made it back to Gryffindor tower and into their dorm. Harry all but collapsed across the transfigured bed that spanned most of the dorm but forced himself to stay awake until Peter was tended to (four of the five beds were still in the middle of the room and spelled to be one giant bed). Sirius gently placed Peter, still in rat form, on the mattress and cast an _enervate_ at him. The rat came to with a squeak and upon recognizing his surroundings transformed back into Peter.

He lay on his stomach, his face dangerously pale except for flushed cheeks, and he was shivering, but from pain rather than cold. The gash across his back looked a lot worse in human form. Once James Vanished Peter's shirt, they could see that it was nearly a straight line just to the left of his spine. While it wasn't too deep, it would certainly scar.

James and Sirius worked together to heal what they could and then bandage it up. While they did so, Peter passed out again, this time from pure exhaustion. The last thing Harry registered was two warm bodies on either side of him and a heavy blanket being dragged over him while he alternately shivered and sweated. Then he, too, fell into unconsciousness.


	29. Return of the Marauders

Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update. I really don't have an excuse, beyond the fact that I started watching a new anime that sucked up all my writing time. I'd also like to say thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me for so long and have put up with my somewhat erratic update schedule recently. I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait, and I'll do my best not to take so long next time!

PS: Excuse the misspellings at the beginning. Our favorite Marauders are still sick :D

 **Chapter 30 Return of the Marauders**

Harry woke late that evening absolutely covered in sweat. He felt a lot better, so he figured his fever must have broken sometime during the day. They were lucky it was Sunday, another day with no classes (and Harry was lucky he'd already finished his homework). He only heard one set of snoring and only sensed one other person in the room, so he figured James and Sirius were down in the common room. Carefully, Harry maneuvered into a sitting position from the tight ball he'd been curled into. His muscles protested fiercely. Wincing, Harry wondered just how tense he'd been while he'd slept. Gingerly he got to his feet and saw that Peter was still sleeping, shifting restlessly. Stretching out a hand, Harry could feel an inch from Peter's forehead that he still had a high fever. Harry tucked the quilt more tightly around the other boy and readjusted the rest of the blankets, then he went to take a shower.

When he finished, he felt refreshed, though he was still exhausted and sore and his throat still hurt. Sleeping for so long, even if it was supposedly a healing sleep, had left him with a headache, too, and he still felt a little unsteady on his feet. Looking at his reflection showed Harry that he was pale, with dark shadows under his eyes. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak. Harry grimaced at his reflection, knowing James and Sirius would take full advantage of him having lost his voice. They'd tease him mercilessly, knowing he couldn't defend himself. At least he'd get lots of practice with nonverbal casting.

Harry glanced back at Peter, who seemed to be all right, all things considered. So Harry pulled on a clean sweatshirt and headed down to the common room. Considering it was Sunday night, there were still quite a few people downstairs. Most of them were goofing off, taking advantage of their last homework-free hours before classes began again the following day. There were a few that were studying. Harry spotted Tonks and Lily and their roommates at their usual spot, and nearby were James and Sirius. They had their heads together and were talking quietly. To anyone else, it would appear they were planning a prank. Harry, however, caught the anxious look on James's face and Sirius's shoulders were stiff, tense.

Harry waved at Tonks, who gave him a look that said she'd be talking to him soon to find out where he'd been the last two days—he'd conveniently forgotten to mention that he'd gotten sick, knowing she'd worry needlessly. Then he approached James and Sirius. They both looked up as he sat down across from them and their relief was palpable.

"I didn't think you'd eber wake up," Sirius said. He was still congested, and at the grimace he made as he spoke it was clear Sirius was rather annoyed about it.

"How are you feeling?" James asked. Harry shrugged and waved his hand dismissively, basically implying that he was fine. "And Pete?" Harry shrugged again, this time with a concerned expression.

"Did you actually lose your voice?" Sirius's eyes glinted dangerously. Harry shot him a warning look, raising his hand and letting sparks jump between his fingers (he'd left his wand upstairs). Sirius grinned triumphantly. "I knew it. I'm going to have so much fun—ouch!" Harry had hit him with a stinging jinx. "Lighten ub, Russet!" Sirius complained. "Wait. I was goig to call you Quiver. 'Cause, you know, you wouldn't stop shakig all last night or today."

"Snuffles," Harry retorted hoarsely, his voice closer to a breathy sigh. But it got the point across, and James snickered.

"I like that. Snuffles."

"If you call be that, I'm callig you Bambi," Sirius retorted.

"What's Bambi?" James asked. Harry snorted in laughter but let Sirius explain.

"Joselyn told be. It's what buggles call a boo-vee, about a baby deer that has adbentures in the forest with his little anibal friends."

"When?" Harry asked, then he coughed. Luckily Sirius understood.

"It was ober Christmas, when we told her about Boony and our formbs since she seembed to know anyway."

"You sound awful, Snuffles," James quipped. "Maybe you should pretend you lost your voice, too, to spare us your terrible pronunciation."

"Shut up, _Bambi_ ," Sirius retorted, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Moony?" Harry asked.

"We went to see him earlier. It looks like he caught your fever, but he should be—"

"No, no. He wants to know what our new nicknamb for hib will be," Sirius interrupted.

"Just stop talking, Padfoot," James said, rolling his eyes. "Your voice is giving me a headache."

Harry smirked. "Join the club, Snuffles," he rasped, then he started coughing again.

"You stop talking, too. Or I'll put silencing spells on the pair of you and not remove them for a whole day."

Harry made a motion of locking his lips together and tossing away the key, giving James a playful smirk. Sirius frowned but didn't speak. Then he yawned widely.

"Looks like it's time for bed," James said with a faint smile, getting to his feet. Sirius and Harry followed suit. "Off you go. A good night's sleep will do wonders for your health."

Harry elbowed James in the ribs to protest his patronizing tone. James scowled playfully and shoved Harry back. Harry was still a little unsteady on his feet, though, and lost his balance. He fell backward, narrowly missing the table with his head. But he whacked the edge of it with his elbow.

"Ow," Harry complained, rubbing said elbow. Sirius helped him up and made a show of pushing past James in a huff and guiding Harry up the stairs. Harry let him, enjoying the chance to wind James up. Indeed, the panic on his face when Harry fell was entertaining to say the least. But he _was_ still pretty tired, even if he had already literally slept the day away. The short time downstairs coupled with going down and then back up the steps to the sixth year dorm left Harry pretty wiped. He was more than happy to fall across the bed again and he was quickly asleep.

Monday Harry felt almost at one hundred percent, but he still couldn't talk. So he decided he'd share secret smirks with the other Marauders, especially Sirius who was also beginning to lose his voice. Let them all think they were planning a huge prank, when really the prank was already happening. Peter's fever had broken in the night, though beforehand he'd woken all of them at least once with his shivering and quiet moans. When the sun rose, Peter was still stuffy and the cut across his back looked pretty bad, despite having been smeared with dittany salve, but he seemed chipper enough so they let him come to class with them. He was more than happy to participate in the prank, too.

Monday went by as normal, though they made quite a few people uneasy by being unusually quiet. James gladly appointed himself the spokesman for any and all of the Marauders, but each time he abused said privilege Harry hit him with a mild stinging hex, usually wandless and always nonverbal. By the end of the day James had learned his lesson, though he had a few welts on his arms and legs and one on his shoulder from Harry's hexes. He also seemed determined to learn how to mimic the feat so he could pay Harry back in kind when he wasn't expecting it. And when Harry beat him in a practice duel in DADA, even without being able to speak and being more tired than usual, James was determined to learn that, too. He even reminded Harry of his and Tonks's sort-of promise to teach him dueling, which they'd made over Christmas break. The others jumped on the chance and demanded Harry teach them, too. He relented, though they'd have to wait until he got his voice back.

When classes ended for the day, four-fifths of the Marauders went to visit their last member in the hospital wing. Remus was awake but not entirely coherent. He had indeed caught a fever and a nasty cough. Luckily, though, he hadn't acquired many injuries from the full moon so his recovery would be quicker. Seeing Harry and Peter up and about, even though Harry had lost his voice, gave him hope that he'd recover quickly as well. He also insisted on being included in Harry's lessons.

Peter, James, Harry, and Sirius had left the hospital wing around dinnertime, but returned immediately after and stayed until curfew. Remus was a little more coherent then and he mentioned—too casually, in Harry's opinion—that Tonks had been by to see him after noticing he wasn't in class all day. By herself. Harry made a mental note to tease her about it as soon as possible. Right after he escaped her wrath at not telling her he'd gotten sick, which Remus had unfortunately let slip in his less-than-coherent state. Finally, Madame Pomphrey kicked them out and the four boys returned to their dorm in order to let Remus rest.

By Wednesday all of them had more or less recovered from their ordeals in the last few days. Remus got over his fever, though the cough still lingered as it tended to do. Harry nearly had his voice back, though it was still hoarse, and Sirius was the same. Thankfully, though, the congestion had gone away so even though he spoke hoarsely, he was intelligible. Peter fully recovered, though the cut on his back would take another few days before it fully scarred over. James had (so far) avoided catching any of it. Harry had gotten a firm talking-to from his surrogate big sister and she all but ordered him to tell her the next time he got sick. Harry was just glad he had still been recovering when she caught him, or he would have been her next prank victim. And Remus's birthday was nearly upon them.

For the last few weeks the Marauders, minus Remus, had been tossing ideas around. Sirius was all for getting him as badly as they'd gotten Sirius, but after the full moon and the rough week they all had, he reluctantly backed down and agreed to tone it down a bit. For Sirius, that meant there would be less pranks directly on his person, but plenty on his belongings and surroundings. Harry hoped Remus was prepared.

Thursday, March 10, and Remus's seventeenth birthday, seemed to dawn much earlier than usual. Harry was up before the sun, as were the others, and reluctantly but cheerfully participated in the first prank of the day. They didn't want to wake Remus on purpose, because he was grumpy in the mornings. Today was bound to be especially bad because he was still recovering from the full moon and being sick. So Peter had found a charm that would mimic the sunrise in a limited area, and they'd cast it on their dorm, centered on the curtains over the window. The others hurried to dress, being deliberately sloppy, and spoke in loud voices.

"Why'd you let me sleep in?" Harry complained loudly.

"Because you're a hellbeast when we wake you up!" Sirius retorted.

"I _still_ have marks from Tuesday!" James added.

'That's because you kept saying stupid things, not because you woke me up," Harry retorted.

"You could have set an alarm," Peter cut in. "Instead of waiting for the sun to shine in your eyes."

"Hmph. What's your secret, then?" Harry shot at Peter. "Why're _you_ up on time and all cheery?"

"I trust my body clock," he retorted. "See you guys in class." Then he made a show of banging the door into the dorm open and closed as though he'd left. Then a small brown rat, with a new streak of silvery grey down his back that hadn't been there a week ago, climbed up Harry's trouser leg and up his arm to rest on his shoulder.

"Do you think Remus would kill us if we woke him?" Harry asked, pitching his voice so it carried across the dorm easily. He could feel the huffing breaths of the rat on his shoulder and knew Peter was laughing.

"I think he's more likely to kill us if we let him miss class." James frowned at Remus's closed curtains. "But I'd rather not get cursed."

"Open the curtains. Let the sun wake him; then he can't blame us!"

James nodded and hurried to comply. (Artificial) sunlight blazed through the window, conveniently falling directly across Remus's sleeping face.

"You _do_ realize class starts in thirty minutes, right?" Sirius said from the doorway. "We're already missing breakfast as it is."

" _What_?"

Remus shot out of bed, banging his head on his bed post in his hurry to get up. He saw the sunlight and cursed loudly, then hurried into the bathroom. Harry barely held in his laughter and James snorted. Sirius made a show of shutting the door as well, then he swept James's invisibility cloak over himself. The last thing Harry saw before his head disappeared was a huge smirk.

"James! What did you do with my bookbag?" Harry exclaimed, loud enough to be heard even over the running water in the bathroom. They might have put a few charms on the door and the shower stalls to ensure their conversation was audible.

"I haven't seen it!"

"But I gave it to you last night; you wanted to borrow my DADA book!"

"I don't know where it is! Maybe Padfoot did something to it."

"Padfoot! It's doomed!" Harry lamented, trying very hard not to laugh. They really were a bunch of drama queens. The rat on his shoulder squeaked in delight. The original plan was to have Peter and Sirius actually leave the dorm, but they wanted to see _and_ hear Remus's reaction when they revealed their prank. So they were staying in the dorm, as unobtrusively as possible.

The shower shut off and Remus all but flew back into the dorm, still dripping wet. He'd barely taken the time to wrap a towel around his waist. "Why the hell didn't you guys wake me earlier?" he exclaimed, frantically digging through his trunk for his clothes.

"Because you have a tendency of cursing first and talking later," Harry said, frowning. James poorly concealed a snort at the irony of Harry making that statement.

"Some mates you are," Remus grumbled. He yanked on trousers and a shirt and hastily cast a drying charm on his hair, which was still dripping. Then he searched the dorm for his socks and shoes.

"At least we haven't abandoned you like Padfoot and Silverback," Harry said, the nickname coming to mind even as he spoke. He sensed more than saw James's raised eyebrow. Remus didn't seem to register it. The rat on his shoulder squeaked in surprise and delight.

"Hurry up, though, Moony. We only have about fifteen minutes before class starts."

" _Fifteen minutes_!" Remus's voice pitched high in panic. He grabbed the nearest bookbag (which was pre-prepared not by Remus, but by Sirius and Peter) and fled the dorm in a rush. The rat jumped off Harry's shoulder and streaked out the dorm after him, and Harry glimpsed a large black form take off as well.

"Run, guys! You have to make to the classroom first!" James whisper-shouted at the two animagi. A short bark was all the acknowledgment he got. Then the two of them exchanged a look and took off after Remus.

The five all but flew through the (nearly empty) corridors toward the Transfiguration classroom, the first class of the day. Remus skidded to a stop in front of the closed door, his face flushed from his panicked run and his shoulders heaving. James and Harry slid to a stop beside him just seconds later, making a show of bending over and struggling to catch their breath (though neither of them were all that winded; James's Quidditch practices and Harry's morning runs had upped their stamina considerably).

"What are you waiting for?" Harry gasped. "Go in before we're late!"

Remus yanked the door open in reply and ran inside. The two animagi had made it first, as planned, and though both were a little out of breath, they sat (in their human forms) in their usual seats. Remus made it halfway to the front of the room before he realized it was empty but for them. He stopped short and looked around in panicked confusion.

"Did we get the day wrong? Are we so late everyone's already left? Oh no. Please, _please_ tell me we didn't actually have Ancient Runes first!" Remus pulled at his hair in worry. Professor Babbling was very strict when it came to being on time, nearly as strict as McGonagall, except instead of losing points or getting detention, she assigned extra work that was always far beyond the level the class was at.

James and Harry exchanged a look while Peter and Sirius did the same. As one they raised their wands and banners fell from the ceiling, with lots of confetti, and they shouted, "Happy birthday, Moony!"

Remus looked at them in disbelief for a moment, then exclaimed, "You guys were having me on!"

They all grinned. "And it worked wonderfully."

"What time is it, really?" Remus asked suspiciously. Harry, grinning still, checked his watch.

"Half past six," he said with a shrug. "In the morning."

"What the hell? Class doesn't start until nine!" Remus exclaimed.

"Plenty of time for a birthday breakfast, then," Sirius said with a grin. "To the kitchens we go!"

Grumbling and swearing revenge, Remus followed the others down to the basement where the kitchens were. Breakfast had started in the Great Hall already, but they wanted to keep Remus away from there until classes really did start. It was the next phase of their prank.

Breakfast was uneventful, though it was funny to watch Remus eye everything suspiciously before he actually touched it. Twice he actually checked for spells and potions with his wand. When they came up empty, he grew even more suspicious.

The Marauders finished breakfast with time to spare; it was barely seven-thirty. Remus was still put out at them, but he realized that he would have to take everything in stride that day. The group returned to their common room for the extra hour until classes start, to be greeted by half of Gryffindor, returned from breakfast already, wishing Remus a happy birthday in complete and perfect unison. Remus, who disliked being the center of attention unless it was for a prank, flushed in embarrassment and gave his friends a halfhearted glare. They just grinned back and joined in.

The amusing part was, Remus had assumed they'd just encouraged all of Gryffindor to wish him happy birthday in the common room that morning. So he wasn't expecting every single student who passed him to give him their birthday wishes, some in more elaborate and humorous ways than one. One could tell who was reluctant or grudging versus those who wanted to make a scene, because a number of the Slytherins grumbled it under their breath, barely audible, while other Gryffindors and even a handful of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs went all out. Some sang the song, others shouted it, and others used magic to make their birthday wish flashier or more impressive. Harry and Peter exchanged a grin and a triumphant high-five—the mild compulsion potion they'd spiked everyone's food with in the Great Hall had worked just as planned.

The next part of their birthday prank was revealed in Transfiguration that morning. Remus's quills had been charmed to write in a different neon color depending on which one he used, and he found out quite humorously when he started taking notes from McGonagall's lecture and his quill wrote not in black but in a blinding shade of neon yellow. He switched inkpots before he switched quills, and went through half of them before he gave up. Harry's favorite was the peacock blue. It reminded him of that ponce Lockhart, and Peter got the joke, too. While they shared a laugh over the pompousness of said fourth-year Ravenclaw, Sirius and James looked on in confusion while Remus gave the four of them a look of resignation.

After that the little pranks James, Sirius, Harry, and Peter had set up began snowballing. Remus discovered the switching charms they'd used on the books he carried in DADA, the second class of the day. They'd switched covers, then, knowing Remus would see through that in an instant, they switched random pages throughout each book (though they made sure to get pages from right around where they were in each class). It was quite amusing when Remus volunteered to read a section of the text during DADA only to find the page he was on covered arithmancy equations, not an alternate explanation of a counter-jinx. When Professor Dean moved on, Remus, with an exasperated look at the other four, pulled out the Arithmancy book, only to find _that_ page detailed advanced human transfiguration.

In Charms, Harry switched Remus's wand out for a fake one (courtesy of Fred and George's birthday package from last year and twenty years into the future). They all had a good laugh when it turned into a rubber chicken in the middle of class, then Harry was subject to a fierce look that cowed him into returning Remus's wand earlier than planned. This combined with the color-changing spells on Remus's quills made for an interesting and eventful morning.

Lunch was normal until the end, when the birthday cake they'd planned for appeared on the table in front of Remus. Sirius gladly led most of the Great Hall in a chorus of the happy birthday song. Remus had rolled his eyes, but he was still grinning when he blew out the candles on top. Said grin turned into a look of shock when the cake exploded in his face and all over everyone within a five-foot radius, and most of the Hall burst into laughter.

"My cake!" Remus exclaimed, disappointed. But the laughter was contagious and soon enough he joined in. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted Tonks, with icing in her hair and cake crumbs on her face, suddenly turn away, blushing. He glanced back and Remus and grinned. Of course, Remus looked as ridiculous as everyone else, with most of the cake all over his face and in his hair. But he was laughing harder than Harry had ever seen him laugh before. His eyes were bright and for one of the only times Harry had ever seen, present and future, he looked happy just to be alive and to have such good friends.

"Mmm," Sirius said, grinning. He'd swiped some cake directly off Remus's face with his fingers and licked it off. "Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself." That only made Remus laugh even harder, which set the rest of them off again. Harry couldn't breathe, Peter was wheezing, Sirius was nearly choking on the cake he'd barely finished eating, and James was pounding the table, breathless with helpless laughter.

"Make…make it stop," Remus gasped, clutching his stomach and still laughing. "I can't…can't breathe!"

"Oh, Merlin. Your…face, Moony!" James exclaimed breathlessly.

"Exploding…cake. Best…idea ever!" Sirius gasped triumphantly.

"I don't think…the rest of our pranks…can top this one." Peter was slowly getting his breath back, though he was still grinning widely. Harry's face hurt from smiling and laughing so hard.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Lily huffed from nearby. She was just passing them with Mary (who was doing her best not to laugh; Lily paid her no mind). Harry barely caught the wand motion, but suddenly it felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He choked, but the laughter stopped. The wand motion was repeated and the others followed suit.

"Don't ruin the fun, Lils!" Sirius complained, calling after her.

"The only way to ruin your fun is to put _all_ of you to sleep," Lily retorted. "And even that might not be enough." Then she turned her attention to her fellow prefect. "Remus, you should probably get that off your face."

"Why should I?" Remus quirked an eyebrow as though puzzled by the request. Sirius snickered when some crumbs fell off Remus's forehead.

"Yeah, haven't you heard?" James put in.

"Cake and frosting is a great moisturizer," Peter finished, grinning. Mary laughed, but Lily ignored her. Instead, she huffed and stalked off.

"Ha! Good one, Pete!" Sirius exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. James cast Lily's retreating form a longing glance before turning back to the rest of them. He then helped himself to the cake on Remus's face.

"Yeah, great comeback, Silverback," Harry said with a smile, bumping Peter with his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Yeah. What?" Remus asked.

"Well, Sirius wants to call me Quiver, and I've now dubbed him Snuffles." Sirius snorted, but Harry ignored him and continued. "And James is apparently Bambi. So I came up with a new name for you, too."

"Why that one?" Peter asked.

"Well, that new scar of yours is a new distinguishing feature on your form, a line of greyish silver from neck to tail. So I thought, Silverback."

Peter smiled. "I like it."

"Mmm…" Sirius trailed off thoughtfully. "It'll take a while to catch on."

"What about me? Don't I get a new name?" Remus asked, pulling a pouty face that made Harry snort in amusement. Despite his annoyance earlier in the day, he was now in full Marauder mode—which meant he was in an unusually good (and playful) mood and itching for mischief.

"We'll think on it, but we'll be sure to give you one by tonight, birthday boy," James replied with a smile.

"Hmph," Remus pouted, which set the group of them into laughter once again—pouts did not suit Remus at all.

The group was still chuckling when they finally made it to Potions. Remus had, reluctantly, washed the cake off his face (after the rest of the Marauders had their share). The rest of them got the cake and icing off their faces, too, though Sirius still had a little in his hair and Harry was fairly sure he'd missed some, too.

The Marauders knew better than to pull pranks in Potions class. The first (and last) time they'd tried, they'd ended up with a month's worth of detentions, fifty points lost from Gryffindor, and a _very_ stern talking-to by both Slughorn and McGonagall. Apparently newt eyes did not belong in a forgetfulness potion, and salamander blood was not supposed to be used as a dye—at least not on skin. According to James, the rash was painful and long-lasting, and burn cream didn't help.

Either way, Potions class was mostly peaceful. And since only Harry and James were in Arithmancy with Remus, and he would murder them if they interrupted one of his favorite classes, they let it go with just the pranks they'd already set in motion—namely, the textbooks and the ink. Halfway through Arithmancy, the alternate colors kicked in and Remus, who _had_ been writing with blue (as the least of several evils, namely neon pink and blinding green), suddenly found himself writing in neon yellow. He narrowed his eyes at James and Harry, but didn't try to switch quills. Harry noticed, however, that his notes were far messier than usual after that, probably due to Remus's reluctance to look down at his parchment.

When classes were over, Harry could tell Remus was tense, probably dreading what waited for him in the dorm or in the Great Hall. He'd been a pretty good sport so far. Hopefully he'd take it well. It was fun, though, when nothing happened all throughout dinner and watching Remus get more and more tense. Then, at the signal, just a few minutes before the end of the meal, Harry snapped his fingers (for show) and suddenly the Hall was filled with fireworks. Harry had snuck a few more Weasley products into the prank, and after the mini dragons had run their course, one perching on Remus's head and singing his hair, the rest exploded in a bright, lasting "Happy Birthday."

Remus had jumped at the initial noise, then rolled his eyes and gave his friends a fond look. When the fireworks continued, though, for a good ten minutes, it looked like he got a little misty-eyed. The compulsion potion kicked in again, and almost in unison, the entire Great Hall wished Remus one last happy birthday before the exploding lights fizzled out. However, the words lingered. The show over, most of the students filed out as well as the professors (that also might have been part of the potion). Finally, when it was just the Marauders left in the Hall, the fiery words hanging in the air exploded again and reformed to read, "to Moony, our brother."

"Happy Birthday, Moony," the four boys chorused. This time Harry knew he saw moisture in Remus's eyes, but then it was gone and a wide grin split his face.

"Or should we say, Imp," they corrected themselves, bestowing the new nickname they'd decided on earlier in the day.

"From Bambi, Snuffles, Quiver, and Silverback," Harry cut in, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous names.

"But only for poking fun," James interjected. "The Marauders are, and always will be: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Russet, and Prongs."

Harry buried the flush of pleasure at hearing his own nicknamed included, and tried to ignore the nagging at the back of his mind that he couldn't stay here forever. This was Remus's day, and he was hardly going to ruin it because he was being selfish.

"Ready for presents?" Sirius asked urgently as the last of the fireworks fizzled away. They left nothing but a puff of smoke before that, too, dispersed and disappeared.

"They're _my_ presents, _Snuffles_ ," Remus retorted, grinning.

"Well, excuse me, _Imp_ , for being impatient!"

"Shut it, both of you," James said fondly.

"Quiet, _Bambi_ ," Sirius retorted. Harry couldn't help a snort of laughter as he recalled the muggle movie by that name. He couldn't picture James in it at all, not even in his animagus form. "I'm busy bothering the birthday boy."

"Well, so long as it doesn't get out of hand…" Harry trailed off, smirking.

"No one asked you, _Quiver_ ," Remus shot back, his eyes glinting with mischief. Harry made a show of being offended.

"Fine. I can see when I'm not wanted. Come on, Silverback, let's leave them to their bickering."

"Maybe we can get a peek at his presents if we're quick," Peter agreed.

"Oi!" Remus exclaimed. Peter and Harry grinned and took off running. The other three made chase, their laughter echoing down the corridors.


	30. Saturdays

Thank you to all my readers who have been so patient with my erratic updates. Life just gets in the way. I'm not going to make any promises about regular updates, at least for the rest of 2016. I plan to have at least one more chapter up before Christmas, but then you may not see an update until mid-January, depending on how crazy my holiday gets. After that, I hope to update at least once a month. Keep reviewing; it motivates me to write. Now, without further ado, the next chapter!

 **Chapter 31 Saturdays**

"Stupefy!"

"Reducto!"

"Furnurculus!"

"Impedimenta!"

The combined spells converged on their target and it exploded in a shower of wood chips.

"Awesome!" four voices cried in unison.

"We did it!" Peter exclaimed.

Harry smirked. "Congratulations. You're at the level of a novice dueler."

"What?"

Harry grinned again. "Like I said. You're novices. Can you do that nonverbally? While it's shooting spells back at you?"

"Of course!" Sirius declared.

"Go for it, then," Harry said. With a thought, the target dummy reformed and a silencing spell was put on Sirius, courtesy of James (who grinned when Sirius glared at him). "Let's see your best."

Sirius retorted, but, silenced, only his mouth moved; no sound came out. With a frustrated growl, he turned to face the target dummy the Room of Requirement had supplied. It was the first lesson Harry was hosting to teach James (and consequently the other Marauders) how to duel, as he'd promised over Christmas. He'd forgotten how much he loved the DA until he started teaching again. So far that Saturday morning, Harry had really only tested the Marauders' capabilities. Though, after Sirius's inevitable defeat he intended to give some advice and help them practice the basic but useful spells until they could cast them without thinking—though that might take a while.

Meanwhile, Sirius was engaged in a fierce but silent battle with the wooden dummy. Spells shot between them, though more often than not Sirius's spells were fairly weak and ineffective. He was spending more time dodging than casting. But he wasn't quite agile enough to escape all the dummy's offense. Within a minute or so, a stunning spell clipped his shoulder and down he went. The dummy reset and went motionless.

Smirking, Harry cast an _enervate_ on Sirius. He came to with a groan. "I hate to say it, but…you were right," he lamented from the floor.

"I always am," Harry replied, grinning. He extended a hand down to Sirius and helped him to his feet, then turned and faced the other three Marauders. "Like I said, you're all about at the level of a novice dueler. About where I was when I was fourteen," Harry added thoughtfully, hiding a grin. "As Sirius so aptly demonstrated, though, real duelists can fight almost without a sound. I know all of you are pretty good with nonverbal casting, but few, if any, of those spells are any good in a fight. So, basically, I want you to be able to do what you did earlier without shouting your spells out. Who can tell me why?"

"So we don't tip off our opponent of what we're about to do," Remus said before anyone else could answer.

"Exactly. So let's start with the disarming charm. I assume you can all cast it fine—it _is_ a second-year spell—but show me," Harry ordered. The four Marauders faced off, Sirius with Remus and James with Peter. With a chorus of shouts, wands went flying. James even got pushed back a little by the power in Peter's spell, which was a pleasant surprise for Peter.

"Good. Can you do it silently?"

Sirius's wand twitched and he almost lost his grip on it, but no one else managed anything. James tried to cheat and whisper the spell, but Harry caught him on the first syllable and cast a silencing charm on him. He ignored the resultant glare and thoroughly enjoyed the constipated look on James's face while he tried to concentrate.

"Not bad for a first try. Good job, Remus," Harry said with a smile. "Any questions?"

Sirius raised his hand. "What good is the disarming charm in a duel?"

Harry gave him a wry smile. "Can _you_ cast spells without a wand?" Sirius opened his mouth, then shook his head ruefully. James gave Harry a suspicious look, though. "I didn't think so. Most wizards can't. So, take away their wand and they're helpless. A quick _stupefy_ and you win. If they're lucky, they're smart enough to dodge, but most wizards don't think like that. Which is another thing I'm hoping to rectify."

"You were born for this, weren't you? Teaching?" Peter cut in, smiling slightly.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know about being _born_ for it, but I do enjoy it."

"I feel like you've been through all this before, just not with us," Remus pointed out. Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Maybe in another life I was a DADA teacher?" he offered, hoping they didn't look farther than that.

"Or you're teaching another group of students without our knowledge," Sirius retorted with a pout.

"I promise, you guys are the first ones I've ever taught this to," Harry said. It was technically true, seeing as the DA wouldn't exist for another twenty years or so. "But enough about me. Get to it," he said with a grin. The other Marauders gave him looks varying from annoyed to amused, then got to it. With a little coaching from Harry, and Remus once he got it, the others were able to cast the disarming charm silently by the end of the hour Harry had appointed. While it got the job done, it lacked the power a verbal charm would have.

"Good job, guys. Keep practicing and eventually there will be no difference between the nonverbal charm and the spoken one," Harry said.

"Of course, o wise master," Sirius quipped. James added to the joke by bowing low at the waist.

"We will follow you to the ends of the earth," he said solemnly. Even though Harry knew they were joking, he felt his cheeks flush uncomfortably.

"Just follow me back to the common room," he said shortly. The pair nodded eagerly, and follow they did—right on Harry's heels. Remus and Peter followed at a more reasonable distance. Several times Sirius stepped on the back of his shoes, and just outside the common room he finally succeeded in taking it off. Harry scowled and shoved his foot back into the shoe. "Move it, idiots," he said, giving both James and Sirius a rough push toward the portrait hole. They stumbled forward and gave Harry twin looks of hurt and betrayal, but at least they complied. Harry rolled his eyes as they gave the password in perfect unison, then followed them in with Remus and Peter behind him.

The remainder of the weekend passed in relative calm, when you consider Harry's company, then on Monday classes began once more. After a morning of Arithmancy and Charms, where even Harry struggled to grasp the new concepts and spells, it was almost a relief to go to Potions after lunch. He was seriously considering dropping out of Arithmancy—the only reason he wasn't failing was because of Tonks's and Lily's careful tutelage, and while it was interesting when he finally got it, it wasn't really worth the effort, and the practical application still escaped him—apparently spell-crafting didn't come until seventh year. At least in Potions all he had to do was follow instructions—even if said instructions _were_ becoming more and more detailed and the timing had to be _exactly_ right or the concoction would literally blow up in your face.

Consequently, when Harry got to Potions, he was more than ready to brew. He was still partnering with Severus, which none of the Marauders but Remus could understand (and even Remus was a little skeptical), and they'd developed an almost uncanny ability to exchange witty comments and the occasional insult while brewing that made even Professor Slughorn nervous sometimes.

"So what's this I hear about you starting a dueling club?" Severus murmured. "Finally decided to share your great power with us peasants?"

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. "What power? The only thing I have on them is experience. And it's not a club. It's keeping a promise."

A pause while Severus carefully measured out ground snake fangs. "So there _are_ trustworthy lions in the pride."

"Does trust not exist in Slytherin?" Harry tipped the ground fangs into the cauldron. It hissed and Harry winced, but the color changed appropriately.

"Only trust that a person won't stab you in the back without a really good reason," Severus responded, after giving Harry a mocking look for his earlier wince.

"Surely it can't be _that_ bad," Harry said doubtfully, thinking of Regulus. He hadn't seen the younger boy often recently, and the last time they had a real conversation was right after Christmas. Harry mentally promised himself to seek him out as soon as possible.

"I suppose it depends on the person," Severus conceded, his voice still low. He stirred while Harry added exactly two grams of crushed belladonna flower between stirs six and seven. "But for the most part, it is. Especially now," he added, his tone turning darker.

"You mean with…You-Know-Who?" Harry said in an undertone. He knew Slytherins didn't like hearing the name Voldemort, but Harry could never bring himself to call him the Dark Lord—for one, that was what his followers called him, and for two, it always reminded him of the prophecy, which consequently reminded him of the night he heard it, which happened to be the night Sirius—his godfather Sirius—died.

Severus nodded shortly and Harry got the sense that the conversation was over, at least for the time being. But the sideways look Severus gave him as he handed Harry the next ingredient implied that he was willing to continue the conversation in a more secure location.

The rest of the class passed in silence but for murmured comments and instructions between partners. As per usual, Harry and Severus got the best potion, with Lily and Marlene in second place. James and Sirius came in tied for third with the pair of Ravenclaws in the back of the room, and everyone else's was varying degrees of awful. Peter's and Remus's cauldron was smoking in a puffing pattern, like a man smoking on an old-fashioned pipe. It was also toxic green, when it should be deep purple.

"Should I even ask why the two of you are even still allowed to attend class?" James asked as the groups filed out of the classroom. Harry caught Severus's eye and they silently agreed to meet in the library after classes finished for the day to continue their conversation.

"The written work balances out our terrible class performance," Remus admitted sheepishly. "It's just a lot harder to focus with so many potent ingredients. It makes me nauseous and light-headed. Sorry, Pete," he added with an apologetic glance at his potions partner.

Peter shrugged and smiled reassuringly. "Without you I wouldn't even be in NEWT potions, so barely scraping an A is fine with me."

"I'm just impressed you're even bothering to put forth the effort," Sirius said. "If it were me, I would have dropped ages ago."

"Well, you're not a bookworm obsessed with taking useless classes for the potential educational value," James said pompously. Sirius snorted, but Peter spoke.

"Were you holding that sentence in reserve? Because otherwise you wouldn't waste your breath on such big words."

James dropped his jaw wide and pretended to look terribly hurt. "Why would you say such a thing?" He sniffed once and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Stuff it, Bambi."

James gasped and turned his hurt look on Harry; the others burst into laughter. "What did I ever do to you?"

For a terrible moment, Harry was tempted to quote his father's words from Professor Snape's pensieve ("it's more than the fact that you exist"), but he bit his tongue. Even in jest that was going too far. "You're being ridiculous. I think Lily's dramatic enough without your help. The school can't take two drama queens."

Sirius snorted and burst into guffaws, gripping Peter's shoulder for support. Peter was grinning widely and Remus was giving James a look that said, you asked for it. James pouted, but quickly sobered up when Lily passed the group with her roommates. She rolled her eyes at James, obviously not fooled in the slightest. Tonks caught Harry's eye and winked. He grinned back unreservedly.

Near the main staircase, Sirius and Peter broke away from the group and headed outside for Care of Magical Creatures. The rest headed for Ancient Runes. Lily and Tonks promptly grabbed each of Harry's arms and sat him down between them, and Lily made sure it was Remus, not James, sitting beside her.

"Uh, why am I sitting here?" Harry asked of his surrogate sister and his teenaged mother.

"Because we're tired of the boys corrupting you," Tonks began.

"And Babbling is assigning a group project today, and I'd rather work with you than either of them—no offense, Remus," Lily tacked on at the end. Remus shrugged and smiled.

"None taken. I'd rather work with Harry, too."

"Too bad. He's taken," Tonks said, and Harry realized she was still gripping his arm possessively.

"What the hell, Jos? Let go," he protested weakly, trying to tug his arm free.

"No. Aside from Arithmancy tutoring, you spend all your time with them. I feel neglected," Tonks said, pulling a pout that looked remarkably similar to the one James had worn just minutes earlier in the corridor.

Harry rolled his eyes, but he had to concede her point—he _had_ been spending more time with the other Marauders than with his sister, and considering how close they'd grown over the summer it was kind of unforgivable. "Fine. I'll do this project with you and try to be fairer in my time distribution," he said.

Tonks squealed in delight—definitely overdoing it—and still refused to let go of his arm. Moments later Professor Babbling began the class. Sure enough, the group project was assigned and Harry was immediately claimed by the two girls on either side of him. James shot him a slightly jealous look in response to Lily's triumphant one, to which Harry responded with a helpless shrug.

"I'll put in a good word for you," he told James later.

"Fine," James conceded. "But if I even _suspect_ something's going on…" he let the threat trail off. He was only half-joking, Harry knew.

"Warning duly noted," he replied, trying and failing to maintain a straight face. Honestly, he hadn't shown any interest in _anyone_ since coming to Hogwarts. That was hardly going to change now. Not to mention James was worried about Lily, _Harry's future mum_. Just the thought made him shudder in revulsion.

"Good," James said firmly.

Their last class that day, DADA, went as expected. Professor Dean was still drilling them in preparation for the dueling tournament he'd decided to hold at the beginning of May—a month and a half away. Rather than teaching them new spells in class, he was teaching them the dueling application of the ones they'd already learned in their six years of schooling—including spells learned in Charms and Transfiguration. He even managed to pull in a few spells that were generally only used in potion making. Every class period he assigned a short essay on an old spell—some of them first-year spells—to be turned in next class, and each weekend he assigned a lengthier essay on a different spell they had to research themselves. By the end of the same week, he expected them to have learned the spell they'd researched. Then the process would repeat itself.

The other teachers were piling on the homework as well as exams drew nearer. They would be held at the end of May, giving the students a few weeks and the end of the term to relax before returning home for the summer. Once he included extra-curricular activities and exam revision, Harry realized he was pretty much booked for the rest of term. Only Sundays were free, and that was only because Harry refused to do homework on the weekend if he could help it, and if he did he finished it Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the Marauders had caught on to his study habits and adopted them for their own, and insisted that Sunday be used for Harry's dueling lessons and prank planning.

Speaking of pranking, plans were already being made for James's birthday at the end of the month. It was hard to find time to plan when he wasn't present, but the other four Marauders made do. Even though there were still two weeks before his birthday, Sirius refused to waste a second—he wanted absolute revenge from his own elaborate birthday prank. Remus joined in good-naturedly, while Peter and Harry took it upon themselves to give Sirius some good-natured ribbing about said pranks.

Being so busy, the week after Remus's birthday passed quickly and before Harry knew it, it was Sunday morning. He was up early, as usual, and went on his habitual run before getting ready for the day. Peter had joined him at the beginning, but after a few weeks he'd decided he liked his sleep better than he liked the exercise, so Harry was alone again. Harry was fairly sure Tonks was still doing a daily run as well, but as he never saw her in the mornings anymore, she must have been doing it either at night or somewhere besides the Quidditch pitch. During the winter months, Harry had used the Room of Requirement, but now it was finally warm enough and the ground nearly firm enough to go back outside.

After about an hour Harry came in from his run, lightly sweating from exertion though the cool air made him shiver a little. While the grounds were no longer a mire and the rain had more or less stopped, a lot of mud remained. Naturally, it was also caked on his shoes. Harry was in no mood to get detention from Filch for something as minor as tracking mud into the castle, he made sure to cast a few cleaning spells on his shoes before going inside.

Harry took his time heading back up to Gryffindor Tower. He enjoyed the quiet time before the castle truly woke up. It was the ideal time to think. While his feet carried him up staircase after staircase, Harry mentally went over his plans for the day. He was definitely going to track down Regulus and make sure he was doing okay, and maybe help him with homework, and hopefully Severus later as well—they hadn't had a chance to finish their conversation from Monday, and Harry felt it was important to talk to him sooner rather than later. Lily had also mentioned that there was something she wanted to talk to Harry about, and though it had been a passing comment it seemed important. And his surrogate sister wanted to duel again. Harry hoped to use that as a demonstration duel for the Marauders, as they wanted to have another dueling lesson later that afternoon.

Harry went to the library first, after showering and making himself presentable. Sure enough, Regulus was there, at the usual table in the back by the History section. After greetings and a short time working independently, Harry finally broached the topic.

"How's your arm?" he asked, going for casual.

Regulus grimaced. "Not so bad, but not better either. If it hasn't stopped hurting by Easter, I'm going home to demand redress."

"And…how are you?" Harry asked cautiously.

Regulus shrugged (with only one shoulder) and turned slightly away. "Fine," he grumbled.

Though Harry disliked that answer, he knew better than to pry—whenever he tried, Regulus would clam up and push him away. "Well, you know where to find me," he said. Regulus nodded shortly, and the conversation moved on to other topics. After an hour or so, Regulus finished the assignment he was working on and took his leave. So, Harry went in search of Severus.

Finding Severus proved to be easier said than done. He wasn't in the library or the Slytherin common room (according to a third-year Slytherin he'd once helped on an Ancient Runes assignment), and the other regular places Harry knew Severus to go were empty as well. He'd even searched a few of the unlikely places. Finally, he broke down and borrowed the Marauders' Map from James, and finally located Severus in one of the student potions labs. Dodging questions as he returned the map, Harry headed down to the dungeons.

When he found the right door, Harry made sure to knock softly—just in case the Slytherin was working on a particularly difficult or sensitive potion. He waited a few moments, then the door opened.

"Harrison?" Severus asked with faint surprise.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Harry asked with some amusement. Severus scoffed.

"Hardly. Slughorn occasionally checks in while I'm working—it's one of the conditions for using the lab. But no one else."

"What are you working on?" Harry asked as he entered the lab. He looked around at the ingredients and the partially complete potion in the lightly smoking cauldron. "Dreamless sleep?" he guessed.

Severus nodded. "For the hospital wing." He closed the door and resumed work on the potion. Wordlessly Harry set about preparing the ingredients that were left—he'd made his fair share of dreamless sleep over the summer and had the recipe memorized.

For a while the two worked in companionable silence. Partway through Harry realized Severus had a second potion brewing as well. He raised his eyebrow as he watched the Slytherin switch between the two seamlessly. Harry was good, but even he had trouble trying to multi-task like that, especially with the slightly more difficult potions.

After about an hour, Harry finally broke the silence. "So I figured we could finish the conversation we started on Monday in class, since we didn't have a chance before."

Severus made a noise of assent, but didn't reply until his second potion was simmering lightly and no further action was needed for a while. "Most of the seventh years are Marked, or will be as soon as they graduate," he began in a low voice. "And the sixth years are anxiously waiting their turn."

"All of them?" Harry asked. He knew most of Severus's dorm mates would eventually become Death Eaters, but he didn't know about the girls.

"Well, all but a few."

"And…what do you think about it?"

"Think about what?"

"Your house mates taking the Mark."

For a long moment, Severus was silent. He instead focused his attention on shredding dandelion roots. Harry allowed the silence, knowing from experience that trying to force Severus—or any Slytherin, for that matter—to speak when they weren't ready was asking for trouble. "They're too anxious to sign away their future," Severus finally said.

"Oh?"

"Slytherins are an ambitious lot. Most have big dreams, and they want to pursue them as soon as possible. Jobs in the Ministry, going after a Mastery, some apprenticeship. There is no future in serving an extremist with nothing to offer."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "You think… _he_ has nothing to offer?"

"He offers power. Powerful spells, forbidden knowledge. But what use is that, in and of itself? People will fear you if you serve Him, and that will fluff some egos. Of course there are some Slytherins that seek just that. But ultimately…where does it get you?"

Harry's eyebrows were practically at his hairline, though Severus wasn't watching his face. He was focusing on preparing the next ingredient. If this Severus had that opinion of serving Voldemort, then how had his future counterpart ended up Marked? Had something happened _after_ sixth year that changed his mind? Or had Harry changed that much just by being his friend?

"Where do _you_ want to go, then?" Harry asked. He knew it was a personal question, and Severus didn't do personal. But it didn't hurt to ask.

"Slughorn knows a Potions Master, and offered to get me an apprenticeship with him," Severus replied, and for one of the only times Harry could remember, a faint but genuine smile lit his friend's face.

"Then you want to be a Potions Master?"

Severus nodded. "I'd like to start my own business, researching, creating, and selling my own inventions," he said, that faint smile still on his lips. Harry felt an answering one spread across his face. It was easy to see how passionate Severus was about his dream.

"Then, this brewing for the hospital wing…is that the apprenticeship for the apprenticeship?" Harry quipped.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Slughorn figured he might as well make use of my talent as well as get samples of my work."

"So what do you do in here all day?"

"I restock the hospital wing at my own pace—unless there's a particular demand, like there is now for pepper-up potion." Harry nodded—half the school, it seemed, had caught some form of a cold in the last month or so, thanks to the damp and cold. "The rest of the time I'm free to brew what I like, though I have to have him approve any of my own recipes or major alterations to existing ones."

"That's brilliant," Harry said, grinning. "Any chance I could help out? At the very least, if I brew the potions for the hospital, you'll have more time to experiment."

Severus's eyebrows shot up, then narrowed. "What's in it for you?"

Harry grinned. "I get to practice my brewing and do some good."

"You'd willingly give up weekends that you could spend playing pranks with your little friends?" Severus asked incredulously. A note of bitterness crept into his voice as he mentioned the Marauders.

"Not _all_ weekend, but some of it. You're my friend, too," Harry replied, shrugging.

"You'd have to get Slughorn's approval. What would your friends think if they knew you were spending weekends with a 'slimy snake' like me?"

"Who said they had to know?" Severus gave Harry a hard look, and he shrugged in surrender. "You're right; they'd find out eventually."

"Just like I will," Severus muttered under his breath, almost too quiet for Harry to catch. He supposed being a wolf animagus was good for something—while not nearly as pronounced as Remus's, he had his fair share of enhanced senses as well, as did the others in varying degrees.

"Will what?" Harry asked, calling Severus out.

Severus glared at him sharply. "Nothing," he retorted. "I'm just about done here; you can go."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but he recognized a dismissal when he heard one. "All right. See you later, then." He raised a hand in farewell, then let himself out of the lab and returned the main castle.

From Harry's growling stomach, it was dinnertime, so he headed for the Great Hall. There he found the Marauders, who asked him where he'd been all day and why he smelled like pickled vegetables. Harry shrugged, hiding a smirk, and dug in to his meal.


	31. Out of the Cauldron

Merry Christmas! I hope y'all enjoy this new chapter! And don't forget to check out the newest chapter in "Rose-Colored Lenses" from Severus's point of view!

 **Chapter 32 Out of the Cauldron**

"Do you think it's been long enough?"

"You won't know until you try."

"Will you get her in a good mood? Please?

"Because Ancient Runes will _definitely_ put her in a good mood." His eye-roll was practically audible.

"At least try?"

"You'll never get anywhere with her if you keep relying on someone else."

"Please?" James pouted and did his best impression of puppy-dog eyes. It wasn't nearly as effective as Sirius's, and Harry was still not convinced.

"I will do absolutely nothing different than usual. If she ends up being in a good mood, it's not because of me."

"Harry's right, though—you need to quit relying on others," Remus said mildly. "And, you know, you could always try going through her _roommates_ , rather than us—you know she only barely tolerates me and Peter. Sirius isn't even worth mentioning."

"Oy!" Sirius protested, but Remus ignored him.

"Harry's the only one she actually calls a friend," Remus continued as if Sirius hadn't spoken.

"Moony's got a point," Peter put in. "You know Joselyn and Marlene really well—ask _them_ to put in a good word for you."

"Listen to them, James. They give good advice. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going. If I'm late, Lily _definitely_ won't be in a good mood later when you try asking her again."

"Go! Go!" James all but shoved Harry out the portrait hole. Harry rolled his eyes indulgently.

"Don't let him freak out too much, okay, guys? And Sirius, keep the teasing down, please."

Sirius pouted, but nodded in agreement. Remus gave James a pointed look while Peter waved his acknowledgement to Harry as he left.

Harry couldn't stop grinning to himself on the way to the library—his friends were obnoxious, but they were his friends all the same. He was going to meet Lily and his sister to work on their Ancient Runes project. They'd been assigned a topic a few days ago: old Norse runes and the difference in magic capacity, effect, and flow from the usual Anglo-Saxon runes. It was bound to be fascinatingly difficult. Harry was looking forward to it.

He arrived at the appointed meeting place with barely a minute to spare. The two girls were already there. "Oh, good. You made it," Lily said.

Harry quirked an eyebrow, but Tonks spoke first. "Were you expecting him not to?"

"Well, there _are_ a few people who might impede me, but seeing as I just left them in the common room, I don't think we have to worry," Harry said with a faint smile. Just for the laughs, the Marauders had occasionally pranked him in the corridor, making it difficult for him to get anywhere. He'd always paid them back in kind, though, and it was always hilarious to see James sprout antlers at random and then get them caught in an unusually low doorway (the first time had _not_ been his fault, but nearly every time after it had been).

"If they had made you late…" Lily trailed off, an unspoken threat in her voice.

"Give them a break, Lils," Tonks said, rolling her eyes. "They're not _all_ bad."

"Of course not. Or I'd have to worry about you chasing after the bad boys," Harry teased.

Lily giggled while Tonks glared at him in annoyance, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Just you wait. I'm going to get you back for all this teasing one day."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Good luck," he said. Then he pulled out his textbook and a reference book he'd borrowed from Remus. "Shall we get started?"

Tonks glared at Harry a moment longer, then turned her attention to the assignment sheet. Lily pulled out another book and a sheet of parchment, and they got started.

As they worked, conversation flowed easily, with topics ranging from Quidditch to the war to the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. Lily also mentioned, rather off-handedly, that her sister was getting married the same weekend as the Hogsmeade weekend coming up soon. Neither Harry nor Tonks commented on that, but Harry knew that Lily was bound to be at least a little upset that she couldn't go. And, since she was Lily's roommate, Harry was certain that Tonks knew something about it, too.

After a while, they'd completed the portion of the assignment that they (well, Lily) had planned to complete that Tuesday. Lily then begged off, claiming she'd had enough studying for the time being and all her other homework was done. So, with a cheerful farewell, she left the library. Neither Harry nor Tonks followed her, but they did put away their supplies.

"You're not about to leave, too, are you?" Tonks asked, a little teasingly.

Harry shook his head. "I'll just have to go back to James and the others making plans to woo her over. So, no, thanks."

"Good. Because if you did leave, I'd have to kidnap you and bring you back."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Have you missed me that much?"

Tonks stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Hardly. Why I ever decided to spend time with an ungrateful brat like you is beyond me."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know, it's hardly good manners to beg someone to spend time with you and then tell them to get lost."

Tonks glared at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. But there was something else there, too. Harry quirked an eyebrow curiously, then smiled a little. "Aw, you really do miss your baby brother."

Tonks snorted. "You just insulted yourself, you know." Harry shrugged and gave her a pointed look. After an intense staring contest, she finally relented. "Fine, you're right. Don't get me wrong; I love spending time with the girls and acting like a hormonal teenager again. But there are still things I've been through that they can't even imagine. The point of friends is being able to understand each other, and without blowing the secret they'll never really understand me. At least not unless the war strikes closer to home."

"Aren't you supposed to save the whole, 'you're the only one who understands me' for Remus?" Harry teased. Tonks's whole head flushed pink, including her hair, and she scowled.

"Shut up, you. I'll change my mind if you don't stop picking on me."

Harry smirked. "Just getting you back for all the times you picked on me."

"Oh? You've got a long way to go for that, kid."

Harry smiled fondly at the nickname, then he grinned at her and stuck out his tongue. "Want to test that? I've been practicing."

"So have I." A dangerous look entered his surrogate sister's eyes. Instinctively Harry palmed his wand. But he decided to take the first shot. A wandless stinging jinx later, Tonks was chasing him through the corridors, threatening life and limb (and only half-joking). Harry fled, laughing, easily leading her to the Room of Requirement.

The moment they were inside, both of them let loose with any number of spells. Harry hadn't been lying; he really had been practicing. He had Tonks on the defensive from the get-go, simply because she hadn't expected him to be so good. All his school assignments had acquainted him with quite a few new spells he was more than willing to get inventive with. Like one that was supposed to turn hair into feathers, which hit Tonks right between the eyebrows (lucky shot) and made feathers sprout literally all over her body. It looked like she'd swallowed one of Fred and George's canary cremes. Because he was laughing so hard, Harry got hit by her retaliatory spell that turned him hot pink.

From there the duel dissolved into a contest of sorts to see who could come up with the most creative and embarrassing results. Finally Harry, wheezing from a tickling charm, tackled Tonks to the ground and transformed into his wolf form. Grinning, she turned into a lynx and the two animals wrestled, neither gaining an advantage, until they were both exhausted. Russet had gotten a lot stronger, fighting with a werewolf every month for the last several months, but it looked like Tonks had been training her animagus form as well.

Finally, both had transformed back and lay panting side by side on the floor of the Room of Requirement.

"You know, I really have missed this," Harry commented idly. "It's fun running with Moony and the others, but it's also a real fight. This is just fun."

"Aren't you glad I missed you?" Tonks teased.

Harry pushed her shoulder, but without much force. "Brat," he grumbled, grinning. Then his stomach growled and he smiled sheepishly. "Dinner?"

"Dinner."

Exchanging a grin, Harry and Tonks got to their feet and headed down to the Great Hall. They knew they were disheveled and flushed with exertion from their play-fight in animal form, but they didn't care.

After dinner, there was a show. In the Gryffindor common room, after most of the students had returned from the Great Hall, James took his chance. He approached Lily, who was sitting with her roommates near the fire working on homework as per usual. Harry, Sirius, Remus, and Peter watched from nearby. Peter looked anxious, Remus looked hopeful, Sirius had a wide grin on his face, and Harry just hoped James didn't screw it up again by saying the wrong thing.

"H-hey, Li—uh, Evans," James stammered.

Lily opened her mouth, a nasty look on her face, but Tonks cast a silencing spell on her while Marlene and Alice subtly kept her from storming off. Lily glared at her friends, and Tonks gave her a pointed look.

"Hear what he has to say, all right?"

Lily huffed, but turned back to James with an expectant (and skeptical) look. James gave Tonks a look of gratitude before turning back to Lily.

"Look. I—I really am sorry for what happened on your birthday. I, well, I was hoping I could still get a second chance?"

"More like a thousandth chance," Remus muttered under his breath, which made the others grin.

Lily just raised an eyebrow, still under the silencing spell from Tonks.

"Well, I…I'd like to make it up to you. So, well, I was—I was wondering if…if you'd come with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?" James gave Lily a hopeful look. Harry smiled a little when he saw James grab his own wrist, to keep his hand from going through his hair like it often did when he was nervous.

Tonks, with a warning look, ended the silencing spell. Lily gave Tonks an exasperated look, then she turned to James. She paused for a moment, seeming to evaluate him. "Your apology is accepted."

"But?" James asked.

"Sorry, but no thanks."

James opened his mouth in protest, then cut himself off and nodded. "All right. Thank you for accepting my apology. I…well, I hope we can still become friends?"

Lily narrowed her eyes slightly, then shrugged and turned back to her friends. Tonks shrugged helplessly when James looked to her for help, then motioned for him to go. James went, looking a little dejected but somehow resigned.

Most of the common room had gone silent during their exchange, but now whispers broke out as James sat back down heavily beside Sirius.

"What do I do?" James asked.

"Exactly what you said—become her friend," Remus cut in before Sirius could remark. Sirius pouted, but Remus glared at him and he wilted.

"How do I do that?"

For some reason, all of them turned to Harry for advice. He raised his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me. All I can offer is simple advice." He was hardly the best person to look to for advice on that matter—he, Ron, and Hermione had become friends by facing down a troll together.

"Anything!" James said. "Anything that might help."

Harry sighed. "How did you become friends with us? With Frank?"

James shrugged helplessly. "I got you guys and Frank to pull a prank with me, and we ended up in detention together."

Harry and Remus sighed helplessly. Peter rolled his eyes.

"Isn't that how everyone becomes friends?" Sirius asked with false innocence. "By getting into trouble together?"

"That might be how _you_ do it," Peter cut in, "but most people start by saying hello and working on homework together."

"That's…it?"

"Well, generally an introduction comes first, but I think we're past that stage," Remus put in. Sirius snickered.

"So…what do I do?" James asked again. Everyone but Sirius rolled their eyes; Sirius opened his mouth—only to yelp as Harry hit him with a mild stinging hex.

"There's a time and a place for your brand of advice. Now isn't it," Harry said firmly.

"I'm just trying to help!" Sirius protested.

"Then why don't you try being serious for once?"

"I'm _always_ —" Sirius yelped again as three stinging hexes hit him simultaneously. "You guys are no fun," he grumbled.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Save it, Padfoot. You can tease him later."

"Oy!" James cut in.

Remus smiled faintly. "Face it, Prongs. You know he'll take the mickey out of you for all he's worth."

"And we'll happily join in," Harry put in, grinning.

"But for now, he has a dilemma to solve—that _can't_ be solved with a prank," Peter said firmly as Sirius opened his mouth once again.

"Meanies," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned his best pout on all of them—only James looked willing to make things up to him (he was usually the only one that pout worked on).

"Careful, Padfoot, or your face might get stuck like that," Peter said, to everyone's slight surprise.

"Wha—" Sirius began, then Peter sent a spell at him that really did stick his face in a pout—everyone could tell he was trying to scowl; his eyebrows even came together. But the pout remained. And the others dissolved into helpless laughter as Sirius tried to retaliate, only to find he couldn't speak properly. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Lily roll her eyes, but her lips turned up in a faint smile as she turned away.

The rest of that week passed in anticipation of the Hogsmeade weekend coming up. No one wanted to focus on homework, but everyone wanted to get it done before the weekend. So, it was a busy week all around. As the anticipation rose, though, so did a feeling of foreboding—for Harry at least. He'd been doing his best to keep up with the news, and Voldemort had been strangely silent—nothing had happened since just after Christmas. There were still regular disappearances, but nothing big enough to warrant a headline, and it made Harry worried. Wasn't the war supposed to be escalating? Of course, it was possible Voldemort was focusing on recruiting—Severus had a good network of information regarding that. Ever since their conversation about where Severus stood, he'd been another source of news—staying in the Slytherin dorms meant he overheard quite a few things. But it still concerned Harry that nothing had happened recently.

Despite all that, Harry couldn't deny that he was also excited to go to Hogsmeade again, and actually have the weather be fairly nice. It was nearly warm enough that one could go outside with just a jumper, and the rain was finally letting up—at least for the time being. So when Saturday came around, he was just as eager as the rest of them.

It was a beautiful day, the sun shining from a nearly cloudless sky and a slight chill in the air. Harry dressed in a warm jumper and one of his lighter cloaks. The other Marauders were dressed similarly, and Sirius wouldn't shut up about all the joke products he was going to buy. Harry reminded himself to be wary when accepting items from him. Remus couldn't wait to visit that old bookshop again, and Peter had tentatively expressed interest in at least seeing what it was like. Remus was overjoyed. James laughed and plotted along with Sirius, but mostly just to humor him. What James was really after was some new gear from the Quidditch store. Harry was perfectly willing to let himself be pulled along, happy just for the chance to enjoy a free weekend outside with his friends. Tonks also exacted a promise from him that he would meet her for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. His friends were welcome, but Harry _had_ to be there.

Immediately after breakfast, nearly everyone third year and up crowded into the entrance hall and waited to catch the carriages. After an annoyingly long wait while permission slips were checked, Harry, Sirius, Peter, James, and Remus finally made it outside. They made plans in the carriage—they could all go their separate ways that morning, then everyone would meet at the Three Broomsticks for lunch and pick a few places to go together that afternoon before returning to the castle. It was a solid plan. When the carriage rolled into Hogsmeade, the boys split off just as they wanted to.

Harry decided to accompany James to the Quidditch shop. It was funny to watch James's eyes light up at the newest gear, and to watch him drool over the latest broom model. After nearly an hour browsing just for fun, James finally found what he was actually looking for.

"Seeker's gloves? What for?" Harry asked. "You're a chaser."

"Yeah, but I'm also the reserve seeker. And Perkins is still down with the flu or something; if he's not better by next weekend I'll have to play seeker. And chaser gloves are so clumsy!"

" _Can_ you play seeker?" Harry asked teasingly.

"Of course I can," James declared. "That reminds me, you still owe me a seeker's match."

"Are you confident enough?"

"I've been practicing," he said defensively.

"Is that what you call chasing the practice snitch around our dorm? Practice?"

James huffed. "Just because _you_ don't appreciate my methods doesn't mean they don't work."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you think you're ready, we can do it this week. I'll beat you any time."

"We'll see about that. Thursday night, then? It's the only night we don't have practice this week."

"You're on."

With that decided, James purchased the seekers gloves and stuffed the shrunken package into his pocket. "Where to next?"

Harry shrugged. "Honeydukes?"

James shook his head. "Nah. We can go with the guys later; it's more fun that way."

Harry nodded. He thought for a moment, then spoke. "Want to walk around a bit? There are a few places in Hogsmeade I have yet to explore."

"Have you seen the Shrieking Shack from here?" James asked excitedly. Harry shook his head no, even though it was a lie. "Then let's go! And I'll mention other points of interest on the way."

"Lead on, then," Harry said, smiling.

Taking that as permission, James set off at a fast pace towards the outskirts of the village. While it was true that Harry had already seen the Shrieking Shack from Hogsmeade, James was taking him down a different route. He took side streets instead of the main road, and pointed out a bunch of quaint little shops and bakeries, as well as the more residential areas.

"And you have to try the treacle tart at Merlin's Bakery and Sweet Shop—it's almost as good as Mum's," James said as they passed a little bakery. The scent of fresh-baked bread and other treats wafting through the open door was intoxicating. Harry breathed deeply. "And there's Mum's favorite boutique, and Dad's gadget shop, and…" James continued rambling as they wandered the streets. To Harry's surprise, he seemed to have an anecdote for all of them, involving either his parents or the Marauders, and a few embarrassingly funny ones involving Lily or other girls he'd taken out.

Eventually they reached the outskirts of the village and stopped at the fence that circled the property around the Shrieking Shack. Harry was amused to see even more warnings and "keep out" signs than there were in his time. On a few of them, he recognized the handwriting of one of the Marauders.

"Are you sure you didn't go overboard on that?" Harry asked with a gin, indicating the signs.

James smiled sheepishly. "We had a close call in fourth year, so we wanted to make doubly sure no one would come near the Shack on a full moon."

"I take it some of the signs are pranked as well?"

James shrugged, but he wore an unabashed grin. "We wouldn't be the Marauders if they weren't. Want to add your own?"

Harry's eyebrows rose in faint surprise, then he smirked. "Sure."

Exchanging a grin, Harry and James slipped through the fence. Harry followed closely behind James, who warned him of all their booby traps in advance. It was like walking through a minefield. Finally, they reached the most boring sign out of all of them. It merely read "No Trespassing."

Using his wand, Harry expanded the sign and added some personality.

"Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again," James read aloud. "Shot with what?"

"Muggles have weapons called guns that shoot balls of metal at high speeds. Their police officers—the muggle version of an auror—carry them to enforce the law." Harry shrugged. "It's a joke, but probably only muggleborns will get it."

"Probably. I still don't get it. What are you going to prank it with?"

Harry grinned. "Why don't you find out?" With that he pushed James in front of the sign. James stumbled forward and gave Harry an incredulous look. It quickly turned to one of shock as a splotch of color appeared on his jumper—hot pink—and James yelped in surprise. As he tried to figure out what happened, another spot appeared, on his forehead this time, and electric blue.

"What the hell?" James stumbled away from the sign.

"It's paint. Don't worry; it'll come off easily."

James opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Clever, I suppose. It's nearly lunchtime; we should probably head back."

Harry nodded and they started back down the path. They took a more direct route this time. They were almost back in the busy section of the village when the screaming began.

A/N: I know, I know. I'm a terrible person. But look at it this way: it's a cliffhanger for me, too, which means I'll have more motivation to continue writing as well. My next chapter will probably be out the week after New Year's, and hopefully this year I can get back to updating every other weekend. Don't forget to review!


	32. And Into the Fire

Hi everyone! I'm two days later than I planned, but still a lot earlier than y'all probably expected. Hopefully I can keep this up (especially since I'm finally getting into the good stuff). So I hope to have a new chapter up in two weeks. In the meantime, enjoy! And please, don't forget to review. Your comments give me greater motivation to write, and when I see an email from FanFiction about your reviews it always makes me smile. Now, on to the chapter!

 **Chapter 33 And Into the Fire**

Harry heard the distinctive cracks of apparation just before the air filled with screams and cries of alarm. He grabbed James's arm and yanked him out of the way as a spell flew through where he'd been standing and impacted a nearby building. Dust and rubble showered down on them; James went white.

"Th-thanks," he said weakly, staring at the giant hole in the building. Harry could practically read on his face: _that could have been me._

"Let's find the others," Harry said firmly. "And protect any younger students on the way."

James nodded, a determined look on his still-pale face. Harry felt more than heard him ready his wand, just as Harry did the same. Cautiously they made their way toward the loudest of the shouting. Harry forced back memories of a dark corridor and a fluttering veil and tightened his grip on his wand. No one would die this time. _No one_.

Moments later the pair rounded a corner and immediately had to duck back out of the way of several incoming spells. _Thank Merlin for Quidditch reflexes_ , Harry thought. James's breathing was loud in Harry's ear. Carefully, Harry peeked back around the corner. Sure enough, there they were.

All the way down the street Harry saw Death Eaters, in full garb, masks and all. Flashes of spellfire from side alleys told Harry there were more than the eight or so he could see. Shopkeepers and upper-year students were trying to fend them off, and huddles of younger students cowed in piles of rubble and clouds of dust. Almost every store front was at least damaged; Shrivener's, the parchment shop, was almost completely destroyed. Harry forced down a hysterical urge to laugh at the feather quills floating down like snow onto the rubble. Individual shouts and frightened sobs reached Harry's ears, and the feel of the magic in the air like static electricity made his hair stand on end and raised goosebumps down his arms.

Suddenly James gasped, "Lily."

Harry whipped his head around in the direction James was facing. Sure enough, down the street near Honeydukes, the redhead was furiously fending off two Death Eaters while a group of younger students, probably all third years from the look of them, cowered behind a shield charm. Before Harry could stop him, James had taken off down the street, shouting.

Cursing, Harry made to follow. But he was immediately forced back by a well-placed spell that blasted off the corner right where Harry's head had been. A shard of brick sliced into his cheek and Harry winced in pain. Then he gritted his teeth and stood. Harry darted out from his hiding place and drew fire from the Death Eater that had nearly taken his head off. The least he could do was cover his friend's escape. The Death Eater was unfortunately competent and kept Harry on his guard, but Harry didn't hold back. A quick glance down the street saw James and Lily working together remarkably well, and students were entering the shop.

After exchanging spells for a good several minutes, Harry smiled grimly as he dodged yet another spell from his Death Eater opponent that was probably the Cruciatus. Then he heard a panicked cry behind him. Harry spun in surprise to see a third-year Slytherin trip and fall to the ground, out of the path of said curse. Two or three other students huddled nearby in the damaged shop behind Harry. But that moment of distraction cost him. A cutting curse sliced through Harry's upper arm and put him on the defensive. When another spell narrowly missed one of the students, Harry gritted his teeth and cast a solid shield.

"Find cover!" he shouted back to the group. He grimaced as a powerful hex impacted the shield, but at least it held. "Preferably _away_ from the fighting!"

"Where?" one of them shouted back irritably. "Everything's destroyed." The boy's voice cracked with fear.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Harry grumbled. "Get to the—ugh," he grunted as a more powerful spell hit his shield and forced back an inch or so. The shield wavered. Sweat forming on his brow, Harry reinforced the shield. He could feel the drain on his magic, but he didn't dare drop it. He could tell his opponent was getting frustrated, but he had to hold out.

"Run, then!" Harry shouted. "Toward Honeydukes!" James had made it there; hopefully he was getting students through the passage in the cellar back to the school.

"Go! We'll cover you!" A new voice announced. The Death Eater gave a cry of frustration. Harry spun toward the new arrival and relief punched him in the stomach. Sirius had already engaged the Death Eater, dusty and scraped up but otherwise fine. Harry took a deep breath; he hadn't realized how worried he'd been until his friend showed up. But the memory of the fluttering veil lingered.

Harry saw the students exchange a look, then the Slytherin he'd spotted before took off running. Two boys and a girl followed, all of them only third years from what Harry could tell. Harry maintained the shield just a little longer, then it shattered under an unfamiliar spell that brushed Harry's shoulder. Since it didn't have an immediate effect, Harry brushed it off and reengaged, back to back with Sirius.

"Nice timing, Padfoot," Harry said with a faint smile, his voice weary.

"You would be the hero who goes down protecting the weak," Sirius said dryly, slicing through the air with his wand. The Death Eater countered with a shield and attacked again.

"Now we both can," Harry quipped. "So let's take this idiot down and help evacuate." Harry fired off a stinging hex that almost made his opponent drop his wand. Said opponent growled and attacked again with renewed fury.

"Blood traitors," he sneered. "And cousin Sirius, at that. My master would be ever so pleased if you changed your mind."

Harry felt Sirius stiffen. "Shut up, Rod," he snapped. "I'd never lower myself to kiss the robes of a half-blood."

That, of course, only made the Death Eater— _Rod? As in, Rodolphus Lestrange? —_ even more furious. Harry and Sirius fought hard, never allowing more than a few seconds between spells and making sure to cover each other's backs. Finally, with Sirius distracting their opponent, Harry fired off a wandless disarming charm. It was overpowered and knocked the Death Eater back several feet. Sirius immediately followed up with a stunning spell, and Harry cast _incarcerous_ , binding the Death Eater with ropes.

At almost the same time, there was a series of _cracks_ and figures in red auror robes appeared. Another series of _cracks_ echoed through the village and all the standing Death Eaters disapparated, leaving about half a dozen of their comrades stunned and otherwise defeated on the ground.

Harry glanced down the street, breathing hard. The cobblestone path was littered with all kinds of rubble, and one or two shops had caught fire. Acrid smoke filled the air, and combined with the dust and the setting sun, it was difficult to make out more than silhouettes and major details. He was fairly sure he could make out James and Lily by Honeydukes, and he recognized a few other students as well. The group whose escape they'd covered was gone; Harry hoped they'd all made it.

"Let's go, then," Sirius said. "The aurors can handle the cleanup."

Harry nodded, then the world tilted and he dropped to one knee, his head spinning.

"Harrison?" Sirius's worried expression swam into view.

"I—I'm okay," he said, getting to his feet. He still felt a little dizzy, but it wasn't bad. "Just…tired, I think."

Sirius looked a little doubtful, and he stayed close as the two headed toward Honeydukes. Partway there Remus and Peter hurried out of a side alley, battered but okay, and joined them.

"I'm glad you guys are okay," Peter said with palpable relief.

"It'll take more than a couple of Death Eaters to put us down," Sirius said with a grin, bumping Harry's shoulder. He stumbled but tried to pass it off as bumping him back. Remus gave Harry a look but didn't say anything.

A few moments later they met up with James and Lily, as well as Marlene, Alice, and Frank. Aurors and teachers were herding the students who were uninjured back toward the school. It wasn't until they were right up beside the group, though, that Harry realized they were gathered around someone. And Tonks wasn't there. His heart in his throat, Harry pushed forward. He dropped to his knees in relief when he saw that his surrogate sister was merely kneeling. She was battered and dusty like the rest of them, but appeared uninjured. Then his stomach dropped as he realized she was kneeling beside Mary's prone form. Alice was sobbing quietly into Frank's shoulder while he held her.

"She's alive," Tonks murmured. "Just unconscious."

"She got caught in the blast that damaged the shop," Marlene said solemnly. And sure enough, a corner of Honeydukes was gone. Amidst the broken shelves, Harry could make out the colorful wrappers of Pepper Imps and other specialty sweets.

"We—we've tried to wake her, but not even _enervate_ will work," Lily said shakily. Harry was surprised but pleased to see James put his hand on her shoulder as he spoke.

"We're waiting for Pomphrey." Then James seemed to realize who he was talking to, and he smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Same here," Remus said. Harry, Sirius, and Peter nodded their agreement. The world tilted again and then Harry's vision went dark.

Harry came to with a pounding headache that made him wish he'd stayed unconscious. His limbs felt heavy and for several minutes he couldn't get his eyelids to obey him. Muffled sounds reached his ears that grew clearer little by little. The slight echo to the voices as well as the scratchy sheets beneath him indicated he was in the hospital wing.

"…okay, right?"

"…passed out…warning…"

"…waking…"

"—rison? Harrison?"

Harry groaned a little.

"You were right, Pete. He is waking up."

"Harry?"

"I'm awake," he said, though it might have sounded more like muffled grunting to the others. Finally, he forced his eyelids open. His friends' faces swam into view, and his surrogate sister's, as well as a few less-expected ones. Lily, for one, and Marlene. Madame Pomphrey wasn't a surprise, but Professor Slughorn was.

"Why are there so many of you?" was Harry's first coherent statement.

Madame Pomphrey huffed. "You shouldn't even be awake yet, Mr. Carter," she said sternly.

"Um…sorry?" A quickly silenced snicker and a quiet grunt came from his left, and Harry glanced over to see Sirius glaring at Peter, who had apparently elbowed him in the stomach. "Wh—what happened?"

"You passed out in the village without any explanation. One of my third years was telling an interesting story; I was quite interested in learning how much of it was true," Professor Slughorn said cheerfully.

"And I completely disapprove of you attempting to interrogate one of my patients before he's had a chance to properly recover," Madame Pomphrey said sternly. "Kindly keep your questions until later, Horace."

"But of course," the potions professor said jovially. However, he merely took a few steps back.

"So what's my diagnosis, doctor?" Harry quipped. This time the muffled grunt came from Remus.

Madame Pomphrey narrowed her eyes but answered. "Magical exhaustion, first and foremost. Deep cuts on your face and arm, and a vertigo jinx that exacerbated your symptoms. Thankfully, the latter has already worn off."

"Oh yeah. I did get cut, didn't I," Harry mused. He raised a hand to his cheek and found a thick piece of gauze there. He tried not to wince as moving his arm made his _other_ cut hurt, the one on his upper arm.

"That is precisely why you should not be awake. It's scarcely been an hour since you were brought here."

"I'm a quick healer?" Harry suggested, though he did kind of agree with the hospital matron—his limbs still felt like lead and while his headache had gone down slightly, he still felt like he had a hangover. He also was fairly sure the moment he tried to sit up, he'd get dizzy again.

"Indeed."

"How's Mary?" Harry asked suddenly. Of all Tonks's roommates, Mary was the one he was the least close to, but he still considered her a friend.

"A few minor breaks and a concussion, but nothing she won't recover from given time and rest," Pomphrey supplied.

"Is she awake?"

"She woke briefly, just long enough to take some potions. Now she's sleeping peacefully."

"Good," Harry said. Then it clicked, and he tried not to groan. "You're not going to give me any potions, are you?"

"Russet, you're not supposed to remind her," James hissed.

"Shut up, Prongs," Remus whispered harshly.

"You should consider yourself lucky that you only need to take two this time," Pomphrey said sternly. "Blood replenisher and a sleeping draught."

"I hate sleeping potions," Harry moaned.

"Yet you'll be taking it or I'll be forcing it down your throat myself," the hospital matron warned. Harry swallowed another protest and took the prescribed potions, though he made sure to pout as he did. He smiled a little as muffled laughter reached his ears.

"See you guys later," Harry murmured as he felt the potion start to work. His eyelids drooped and he barely heard his friends' replies. Then everything went dark once more.

The first thing Harry noticed when he woke up was his empty, growling stomach. Then the heavenly smell of food reached his nostrils and he sat up before his eyes were even fully open. His head started pounding, and it only got worse when he opened his eyes properly. But he preferred food to worry about a headache.

Before Harry could reach out to the tray on his bedside, he heard a sigh. "I should have guessed you'd wake to the smell of food. Just like your friends, you are," the hospital matron said, shaking her head.

Harry shrugged. "Can I eat it? Or is it just to torment me?"

Madame Pomphrey smiled faintly. "If you feel up to it, you may eat. But I'm keeping you here until classes resume tomorrow—you need proper rest," she said sternly.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, reaching for the bowl of porridge and the spoon. He heard the matron chuckle as she left his bedside. The meal was relatively plain, but it was heaven to Harry, who realized he hadn't eaten properly since breakfast the previous day—at least, he assumed it had only been a day since the Hogsmeade attack.

Just as Harry was finishing up, he heard the huge doors into the hospital wing creak open. He looked up to see Tonks and Lily approaching. That reminded him that Mary was probably still in the infirmary, too. Harry glanced around and spotted her a few beds away from him with the hangings partially drawn. He couldn't see well, but it looked like she was still sleeping. Then Tonks and Lily reached his side.

"Good morning, little brother," Tonks greeted him cheerfully. Harry grimaced playfully.

"It'd be a better morning if Pomphrey was going to let me out."

"She's not?" Lily asked.

Harry shook his head. The headache had mostly faded now that he was fully awake and had eaten, but it still hurt a little. His right arm where he'd been hit with the cutting curse was still sore, too, but the cut on his cheek seemed to have healed up nicely. "She insists I need one more day of bedrest."

"Well, to be fair, you _did_ have magical exhaustion."

Harry shrugged. "It's not the first time." Then he grimaced. "I guess I should be grateful; the first time I was out for three whole days, not just twelve hours or so."

Lily gasped. "You've been magically exhausted _before_?"

"Several times, actually," Harry said frankly, then he grimaced. He probably shouldn't be talking so casually about the future—his past—with Lily there. Tonks just gave Harry the same look she always did when he got himself hurt—exasperated yet glad that he was okay.

"What are you, a trouble magnet? Or just reckless?"

Harry shrugged, smiling a little. "Both. Trouble finds me, but then I go recklessly rushing into it."

Lily sighed. "I'd feel sorry for your mother if she was still around. So I guess Joselyn gets my pity now."

Harry forced himself not to wince, not at the reference to his mother but because Lily was the one to say it. Tonks jumped in and saved him from an awkward reply, though.

"It's appreciated. I don't know why I still choose to be saddled with this reckless troublemaker of a brother." Tonks shook her head in lament, but her eyes glinted playfully.

"You're not ever going to be rid of me," Harry replied, smirking. Then he turned to Lily. "So, I couldn't help but notice that you seem awfully friendly with James yesterday."

Tonks snickered while Lily gasped. Her face flushed crimson, clashing terribly with her hair. "It's nothing. He just…well, he…I…it was an emergency! A one-time thing! I swear! James is still an arrogant toerag and I want nothing to do with him!"

Harry smirked. "Is he 'James' now?"

If it were possible, Lily flushed even darker. "Shut up, Harry!"

Tonks snorted but tried to cover it with a cough. It only made it worse. Lily glared at her, which only made her laugh harder. Choking back another laugh, Tonks spoke. "I'm just going to go check on Mary," she said, then she fled toward the bed where her roommate was still asleep (but probably not for much longer). Harry was pretty sure he got the joke, but he didn't get why it made Tonks laugh so hard.

"Look, I'm not just trying to tease you," Harry said after a few moments and Lily's color had mostly gone back to normal. "I've been telling him for months to just be himself around you, and I'm sure the guys have been telling him for years."

Lily snorted in disbelief. "You're telling me that 'big-headed flirt' was just an act?"

"Well…he is actually a big-headed flirt. But he's a lot more than that."

"Shall I add 'prankster' and 'stalker' to that list, too?"

Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Are you nothing but a brainy, suck-up know-it-all?" he said frankly.

"Of course not!" Lily retorted heatedly.

"Am I nothing but a defense prodigy and a prankster in training?"

"Of course not." There was no heat that time.

"Then James can't possibly be nothing more than a big-headed, Quidditch-obsessed, flirty, idiot prankster."

Lily opened her mouth, then shut it again. But there was a defiant set to her mouth. Harry exhaled forcefully in exasperation.

"What I meant was, I've been trying to get him to show you the deeper side of himself, the side that worries obsessively if one of his friends is hurt or upset, the side that beats himself up every time he says something stupid or insensitive to the girl he's convinced he's in love with, the side that is fiercely loyal, maybe even to a fault. But _you're_ too stubborn to see it, because you're convinced there _is_ no 'deeper' side to James Potter," Harry said firmly.

Lily opened her mouth again, then shut it. The defiance was gone. Harry sighed.

"Look, I'm not telling you he's perfect. Like we've already established, he is arrogant sometimes, and he does often overlook or look down on people who aren't in his circle, and there are probably a hundred other little things I haven't noticed yet but Peter or Remus could probably write a four-foot essay on. I'm just asking you to give him a chance."

Lily sighed. "I suppose he was pretty good yesterday, getting those kids to safety. I didn't know there was a secret passage from Hogwarts into Honeydukes! And he's a good duelist, and he kept a pretty cool head through it all." Lily grimaced, and Harry tried not to smile; it had probably been difficult to say so many good things about James Potter all at once.

"See? Just try looking for the good qualities rather than the bad. You already do that with everyone else. You just have a blind spot when it comes to James and Sirius. If you change that, I think you'll be surprised."

Lily looked about to protest, but Harry gave her a stern look that mimicked Remus's trademarked raised eyebrow. She sighed. "I'll try. That's all I can promise. And if J- _Potter_ tries to ask me out again in front of the whole common room, no matter _how_ nicely he does it, he's blown his second chance."

Harry sighed, but he supposed it was the best he would get for the time being. He knew it would eventually work out; he was sitting there, after all. But he wished they'd hurry up. "I guess I can't ask for much more than that. I'll warn him about his second chance. And thanks, Lily, for being willing to try."

Lily nodded curtly, then she left Harry's side to go see Mary. From the murmured conversation Harry could hear from that direction, he assumed she was awake now and talking to Tonks. He listened in for a while, though he could only make out a few words. Then he felt himself growing drowsy again. As drifted into sleep, he grudgingly admitted that maybe, just maybe, Madame Pomphrey knew better than he did.


	33. The War Begins

I am so, so sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out! It's been a real struggle finding the motivation to write more than a paragraph at a time. But I swear I will never, _ever_ abandon this fic. I intend to see it through to the end. Thank you to everyone who has put up with my inconsistent updates recently. Thanks for sticking with me! Your reviews make me want to write, so please, keep them coming (even if you are only begging me to update). I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I will do my best to have the next one out sooner rather than later.

 **Chapter 34 The War Begins**

Monday morning, Madame Pomphrey finally released Harry from her care with a new scar on his cheek that would probably fade, given time, and bandages still wrapped around his upper arm—the cutting curse from the attack had really done a number on him, and since it was dark magic, it would take at least a few more days to heal over completely, and then he'd be left with another scar. He really was acquiring quite the collection.

Harry joined his friends in the Great Hall for breakfast and was surprised at the subdued atmosphere he found. The Marauders were up to their usual antics, but most conversations were held in low voices and cautious tones. The attack on Hogsmeade had really shaken the student body, Harry realized. But that wasn't all; that morning's Daily Prophet headline recapped said attack, and included the fact that dementors were defecting from Ministry control and "could be anywhere. Civilians are advised to take precautions and never travel alone."

An involuntary shudder ran down Harry's spine at that piece of news. Most of the students figured Hogwarts was safe, but Harry knew better. In his time, Dumbledore had deliberately allowed the dementors onto the grounds, but here, there was still the possibility that they could slip through no matter what precautions were taken. It was no surprise, then, when his first DADA class of the week revisited dementors and the Patronus charm.

"Now, I know all of you have heard the news—that dementors are roaming free. We've already covered dementors, but let's make sure you all remember what they are and why they are so dangerous," Professor Dean began sternly.

Only a few hands went up. The professor called on Tonks, who answered with all seriousness: "They are among the most foul creatures to ever walk the earth. They prey on our happiness, on any positive emotion. They make you relive your worst nightmares, your ugliest moments. And if they get too close, they will suck out your soul. The body will continue to function, but everything that makes you who you are will be gone."

Harry felt the shiver that went around the classroom, and it took some effort and concentration to keep his thoughts from drifting. But he must not have been very successful at schooling his expression, because he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced sideways and gave Remus a weak smile of gratitude. On his other side, Sirius bumped his shoulder lightly and made it look like an accident.

"Correct, Ms. Carter. And how does one defend against a dementor?"

Only two hands went up—Remus's and Lily's. Harry glanced across the classroom at the Slytherin side. They all seemed bored, except for Severus who looked mildly interested. For him, though, that was the same as sitting riveted in his chair and hanging on every word.

"Mr. Lupin," Professor Dean said.

"Your best option is to run the other direction as fast as possible," he said with a faint smile. A few people chuckled, and most of the Slytherins snorted in contempt. "But if that isn't an option, there's always the Patronus charm."

"And what is the Patronus charm?" Lily's hand went up, and the professor called on her.

"It's a sort of summoned guardian that acts as a shield. The incantation is 'expecto patronum,' and the wand movement is merely a small swish. A Patronus won't kill the dementor, but it can drive it away and allow you to get to safety."

Professor Dean nodded. "Correct. A Patronus is an outward manifestation of everything dementors hate. They thrive in darkness and fear; a Patronus is light and confidence. Does anyone know how to successfully cast a Patronus?"

Nobody raised their hand. Lily looked confused, since she'd already given the incantation and wand movement. Harry took a deep breath and raised his hand.

"Mr. Carter?"

"There's more to casting a Patronus than just the wand movement and incantation. You can do both perfectly, but it will still fail if there's nothing to back it up. In this case, the very emotions the dementor is trying to steal become the fuel for a successful Patronus."

There was a thoughtful silence, then Professor Dean spoke again. "You have experience facing dementors." It wasn't a question. Harry nodded minutely, and Remus's hand tightened on his shoulder. Every eye was on him, and Harry wondered if the students remembered his boggart from Halloween. "Have you ever cast a Patronus before?"

Harry almost nodded before realizing he'd probably be asked to demonstrate, and it turned into a sort of half-shrug and a head shake. "Only a weak one," he conceded. "No form; just wisps of smoke."

Professor Dean nodded. "There are two types of patroni. The first is a shield type, which is more or less a wall of magic that will keep a dementor at bay. The second type is a corporeal Patronus, which takes on an animal shape, which changes depending on the castor. This is the type that will actively chase a dementor and drive it away. Most people who try only manage the first type. A corporeal Patronus takes immense concentration and conviction, not to mention magical stamina. For the next week, we will be practicing the Patronus charm." The professor turned very serious. "I expect each one of you to manage at least a shield Patronus by the end of the week. Any NEWT student of mine should at least be able to escape a dementor should he or she find themselves facing one."

There was a silence, then Lily raised her hand. "Can you demonstrate what the shield Patronus is supposed to look like?" she asked when the professor called on her.

Professor Dean nodded. He swished his wand and very clearly incanted, "Expecto Patronum." A wisp of smoke shot out of his wand and coalesced into a roughly convex shield shape that flickered and pulsated at regular intervals. He let it stay for a moment, to awed whispers from the class, then he let it fade. "That is what I expect each of you to be able to do by the end of this week. To anyone who manages a corporeal form, even if only briefly, I will award fifty points to their house. To anyone who manages even a shield nonverbally, I will award twenty-five points."

Excited murmurs broke out as the students pushed desks out of the way to clear room for practice. Harry hung back, unwilling to deliberately fail any number of times before he had to. Naturally, he could cast a fully corporeal Patronus, but as it was identical to James's animagus form, it would raise questions he didn't want to answer.

For the next forty minutes, the room echoed with shouts of "expecto patronum." Evidently, most of the students thought volume equaled power. Only three people managed even a wisp by the end of class—James, Lily, and Severus. Harry (and Tonks, he supposed) deliberately didn't try. James and Severus glared daggers at each other, as though neither could believe the other had managed it. Each of them was awarded ten points for success. Everyone else was told to practice, then class was over.

While James was busy bragging about his success, to good-natured ribbing from the others, Harry walked in silence. A familiar, heavy weight settled on him—the weight of responsibility. He knew what was happening, what _would_ happen. He could stop it. He just didn't know how. And the idea that he might lose any one of friends simply because they weren't prepared—because _he_ wasn't prepared—terrified him.

"Harry? You okay?" It was Peter.

Harry barely held back a sigh. "Not really," he answered quietly. The lesson had brought back any number of old memories, despite his attempts to shut them out.

Peter hadn't expected an honest answer, so for a moment he was silent. "Whatever it is, remember that you're not alone," he finally said. "We're here for you."

Harry smiled, though it was a difficult task. "Thanks, Pete."

Apparently, the depressive mood was contagious. As the day wore on, Sirius grew more obnoxious—which meant he was trying to prove he was okay. Harry wondered what he had remembered, though he knew that trying to get anything out of Sirius would be like trying to wring oil from a wet cloth. Tonks spent more time casting worried looks in Harry's direction than she did listening in class, and lost ten points during Ancient Runes for not paying attention. Harry braced himself for the inevitable interrogation. Even Lily grew more withdrawn as evening drew nearer. Casting his mind back, Harry remembered, vaguely, that she'd said something about her sister getting married sometime in March, and Lily wasn't invited.

Harry had planned to check up on Lily and make sure she was okay before getting started on his homework that evening, but before he got a chance, his surrogate sister all but kidnapped him and dragged him to the library.

"All right, spill," she ordered. They were in the back of the library, where they went to study only rarely nowadays. Harry sneezed at the perpetual scent of dust in the air. Tonks turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest, a stern but worried look on her face.

"Spill what?" Harry asked, trying to play it off.

"You've been down since this morning. I'm not blind."

"Then you should already know what's bothering me," Harry retorted. He loved his sister, he really did, but her worrying was really getting on his nerves. She'd all but suffocated him on her first visit to the hospital wing the other day.

"I can't read your mind, kid, however much I wish I could sometimes."

"But you know me; I'm sure your guesses are accurate. I don't like having to explain my every mood change to you," Harry responded, tamping down on his anger. He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying something hurtful and started reading the titles of the books on the shelf behind his sister to distract himself.

Tonks sighed, and her hair turned grey and orange—the colors of worry and annoyance. "I just want to help. I feel so useless right now." She bit her tongue before she could say more. Harry tried not to smirk as he replied,

"All right. Spill." Tonks still glared at him, and then it was Harry's turn to sigh. "It's always about me," he said pointedly. "Like I said in the beginning, this has to go both ways. So what's really bothering you and making you want to smother me?"

Tonks sank into a nearby chair, twisting her fingers together. Harry dragged a chair over and sat facing her. "Before we came here, I felt like I was really helping you improve, like I was actually making a difference and maybe evening the odds a little for when…well, when you eventually had to face him. But since we came here, I'm hardly even your study partner. Don't get me wrong—I don't mind that. I hate studying. But I haven't really done anything to help you." She laughed humorlessly. "If anything, you're the one helping me now. And that makes me feel weird, because I'm older than you, and _I_ should be the one in charge. But you're the one driving us forward, looking for answers and ways to make a difference. I'm…I'm just a normal student, and because of circumstances, I feel even more out of place than ever. So the only thing I feel like I can do is worry about you and make sure you're always okay."

"You're rambling again," Harry pointed out with a faint smile. Tonks flushed a little.

"Dammit," she muttered.

Harry shook his head in amusement, then he had to sigh. "Look, it's not like I don't appreciate you looking out for me. I just...it's hard for me to accept help from others. I'm used to doing things by myself, looking out for myself. It's…it's really weird having someone else worry about me," he admitted embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Usually no one cares." Harry sighed again. He dropped his hands into his lap and studied them while he continued. "Maybe that's why I'm so focused on helping people. I know what it's like to not have anyone care if I'm upset or hurt. And…well, I hate the idea of someone else feeling that way because of me."

"I take it that's why you've been so depressed today?"

Harry nodded, not looking up. "I just wish there was something I could do," he said quietly.

"Me, too, kid," Tonks murmured.

Neither of them noticed a tall, black-haired figure with a red tie slip away from behind the stacks, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

A short while later Harry and Tonks returned to the common room and their respective groups of friends. Except two certain members—one from each group—were missing.

"Where's James?" Harry asked as he sat beside Sirius. The puzzled look on his face was immediately exchanged for a smirk.

"Over there," he said, jerking his head toward a corner. Harry followed his gaze and barely kept his jaw from dropping. There, sitting at a table near the window, sat James—and Lily. Together.

"Has she temporarily gone blind and deaf?" Harry asked bemusedly. He was all for the two having a real conversation and being friendly, but he didn't expect it to happen so suddenly.

Peter snorted. "Nope."

"Apparently," Remus broke in, "Lily looked upset, so James summoned his courage and went to ask her what was wrong."

"That was twenty minutes ago," Marlene broke in, joining their conversation. Tonks vaulted over the back of a chair and fell into the seat on Harry's other side. He rolled his eyes.

"And she hasn't hexed him yet?"

"Nope. But I'm expecting it at any moment," Sirius added. "For now, let's just observe."

"Apparently, something you said to her made her think," Tonks told Harry in a low voice.

"—list of questions," Sirius was saying.

"Huh?"

"For the interrogation, of course. We have to wring every last detail out of him. This is a momentous occasion!"

"While he does have a point," Remus interrupted mildly, "I think you might be taking this a bit too far," he said with a nod toward Sirius.

"Besides, couldn't we just eavesdrop on them?" Peter suggested.

"I agree," Marlene said, grinning. But Tonks shook her head.

"Bad idea. If she even knew we were talking about this, Lily would kill us."

"Frankly, I'm surprised you aren't eavesdropping already," Harry said dryly.

Peter looked sheepish. "Prongs gave us a death glare."

"Then there's nothing for it but to wait and ask him about it later," Harry replied. He'd never been on the receiving end of said death glare, but he knew James's looks could be pretty dangerous. He also knew what it meant when he himself gave someone that kind of a look, and he was fairly certain James would react the same way he would.

"In the meantime," Remus broke in, "I suggest we try and get some homework done."

"Aw, you're no fun!" Sirius complained.

Remus shrugged and pulled a half-finished essay toward himself. "It's your grade."

Harry smiled a little at the torn expression on Sirius's face. On the one hand, Sirius couldn't care less about school work. But he liked the bragging rights that came with good grades. He'd probably pout for a few minutes, then buckle down and get the work done.

It wasn't much longer before Lily and James separated. Lily headed for her dorm while James rejoined his mates. With a wink, Tonks and Marlene followed their roommate up to their dorm, and James took Marlene's vacated spot on Peter's other side. Harry was faintly amused by the light blush coloring James's cheeks. His lips were turned up in a faint smile, compared to the last time he and Lily had been alone together and he'd returned all but crying. So Harry was mostly just glad things had gone well.

The moment James sat down, Sirius opened his mouth to begin the interrogation. Remus jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow and shook his head sharply. His meaningful look was enough to get Sirius to wait at least for a few minutes. In the meantime, the group worked quietly on homework. The true marvel was that their only conversation for the next twenty minutes was homework help. Then Sirius couldn't wait any longer.

"All right, Prongs. Spill."

"Huh?" James looked up in confusion, and Harry realized that all he'd accomplished in the last twenty minutes was create a large ink blot on his parchment where his quill rested. His cheeks were still pink, and there was a faraway look in his eyes. Harry couldn't help a snort of laughter. He wasn't the only one. Peter snickered and Remus bit his lip, clearly trying not to laugh. Sirius had no such compunctions. He burst into surprised laughter that quickly became obnoxious. It took another one of Remus's bony elbows to the ribs to shut him up long enough for someone to speak.

"Were you really daydreaming this whole time?" Peter asked, fighting a smile.

"I…maybe?"

"Potter and Evans, sittin' in a tree," Sirius began in a singsong voice. James turned bright pink. "K-I-S-S—oof!" Harry had elbowed him, trying not to laugh.

"Shut up, Snuffles."

Peter burst into laughter, which set off the rest of them. Well, except for James, whose face now resembled a fully ripe tomato.

"Stop it, guys," he protested. "Why is that so funny?"

Remus choked back a laugh. "He's right, though. He's always like that."

"Hey!" James tried to glare.

"S-sorry," Peter said breathlessly.

"No, you're not," Harry muttered past his smile.

Conversation from there dissolved into playful ribbing all around, and not a lot of work got done. Finally, Harry started to nod off. He hadn't fully recovered from his magical exhaustion yet. Noticing this, Remus suggested they head up to the dorm. The others agreed, and after gathering books and parchment they ascended the stairs. Harry, who by now was totally exhausted, barely made it through his nightly routine before collapsing onto his bed.

The others continued their banter, even as Remus halfheartedly protested, wanting to finish his homework before going to sleep. Harry's body was tired, but his mind took some time to shut down. To ease the process, Harry began his Occlumency exercises. He'd been neglecting them recently, he realized ruefully. Sorting through the last week's worth of memories would take time. But Harry only made it through the last few days before slipping into sleep.

 _Running toward the shouting. Smoke rising from the village up ahead. Harry grabbed James's arm to pull him out of the path of spellfire—too late. The bespectacled boy dropped to the ground in disbelief, a dark stain spreading across his chest. Eyes open but unseeing. The tang of blood in the air. Sirius appeared at Harry's side. They ran together, encountered a cloaked figure. They fought. Harry faltered, and his shield failed. Sirius went down, untouched but not breathing. Accusation in his stare. Guilt clawed at Harry's insides. Remus came running towards him through the smoke, calling out. But Harry couldn't hear the words. Suddenly Remus stumbled, fell, began writhing in pain. Harry ran to his side. He was helpless to save him. Betrayal as the light left the werewolf's eyes. Face to face with a figure cloaked in black. Spells flashed back and forth, Harry's wand whipping back and forth in furious grief. The hood blasted off, Peter's face staring back at him. All of his friends' dying emotions on Peter's face. Failure stung like a hornet. Failure and guilt. Suddenly a high-pitched scream, a flash of green light. Pain, and then nothing._

Harry gasped, clutching at his chest. Sweat-drenched clothes stuck to his skin. His body shook. In a panic, Harry whipped his head around. James, sprawled half-naked across his bed with the blanket over only one leg, his chest rising and falling regularly. Harry took a deep breath. Remus, curled in a ball with his back to Harry, shoulders moving with each breath. Sirius, sprawled on his back, snoring lightly. Peter, only his silhouette visible in the darkness, but a second set of light snores. Harry let out the breath he'd been holding in a heavy sigh. Just another nightmare, he told himself. They're fine, and it was just a nightmare.

 _But it could happen_ , whispered a little voice in the back of his mind. _You already killed him once._

 _No,_ Harry argued back. _That wasn't my fault. Bellatrix, it was Bellatrix._

 _But he wouldn't have been there if you hadn't been._

 _He hasn't died yet_ , Harry insisted. _I can change it. I can change all of it._

 _How?_

To that Harry had no answer. With a heavy heart and an uneasy mind, he lay back down. He doubted he'd get much more sleep that night.

The next morning at breakfast, the students of Hogwarts were greeted by another flock of black Ministry owls and newspapers bearing the headline: "Muggle Towns Attacked! Dementors and Death Eaters Responsible. You-Know-Who Gaining in Power!"

"Call him Voldemort, for Merlin's sake," Harry grumbled, tossing the newspaper aside. He ignored Sirius's cry of alarm and then his stream of cursing when his pumpkin juice spilled over his plate and onto his lap.

"Someone's in a bad mood this morning," James observed. A hint of teasing colored his tone, but mostly he was cautious.

Harry bit back a retort and instead bit viciously into his toast. A quickly stifled sob caught his ear. He whipped his head toward the sound and saw a third-year boy further down the table flee the Great Hall, upsetting his plate and his friend's as he went. He clutched a crumpled piece of parchment in one fisted hand. Harry's stomach clenched and suddenly his appetite vanished. His bite of toast turned to cardboard in his mouth and it was difficult to swallow.

"I'll see you in class," he muttered, then he left the Hall. He didn't follow the younger student; rather, he found himself pacing the corridors agitatedly. He tugged his fingers through his hair, which was as unmanageable as ever, and did his best to keep from shouting. Or kicking the wall. Or cursing the wall.

With fifteen minutes to go until class started, Harry did his best to tone it down. At least enough that he wouldn't curse the first person to talk to him. Which was just as well, because only moments later a familiar head of red hair appeared.

"Harry? I saw you leave; are you okay?"

Harry exhaled forcefully, then tried to smile. "I'm fine, Lily."

Lily scoffed. "Try again."

Harry's lips quirked upward. "I'm frustrated."

"What about?" Her forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. "It's not like there's much you can do."

"That's just it!" Harry tugged at his hair again. "I _could_ do something. But instead, I'm stuck here playing student when people are out there _dying_!"

Lily bit her lip. "What can _you_ do? You're hardly a match for them. You'd be lucky to last more than two minutes."

"Two minutes could save lives," Harry insisted. "I want to _do_ something, not sit here and watch it happen and be powerless to stop it!"

"So do I!" Lily burst out. "It's terrible, what they're doing! But," her lip quivered, "we have to be able to make a difference. And right now, we'd just be another casualty." She bit her lip again and there was a pause. Then she spoke again. "So," here, her expression turned determined. "I'm going to put double the effort into my schoolwork, because one day it might save my life or someone else's!" she declared.

Harry stared at her. He'd known from stories that his mum had been fiercely protective and a fighter to the core, but this was the first time he'd seen that side of her. That shared determination to fight and protect, Harry thought, might have been what drew her and James together to begin with. Because though James was generally laid-back, he'd seen that side, the side that would risk everything for what he believed in, more than once in just the six months he'd been in the past.

"What?" Lily asked sharply. Harry felt his cheeks color slightly as he realized he'd been staring for a good minute or so.

"Nothing. I just…" Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "I didn't realize you felt so strongly. I…well, I thought I was the only one."

Lily scoffed. "Hardly. They don't show it much, but Marlene and Alice are just as passionate about it, and so is Frank. And…" she paused and made a face, then added, "So are your mates, though you'd have to look really deep."

Harry smiled for real this time. "That's true." He glanced at his watch and cursed. "We're going to be late!" he exclaimed. Lily gasped, then the two of them took off down the hall toward the Charms classroom.


	34. The Beginning

Hey, y'all! This must be some kind of miracle, right? Thank you to everyone for your reviews and your support. I really appreciate it. I really hate disappointing you and making y'all wait for weeks, sometimes months at a time for a new chapter. So I will be putting this story on a (brief) hiatus. I am _not_ abandoning it. I repeat, I am NOT abandoning this story. I simply want to be at least three or four chapters ahead before I update again, so I can update on a more regular schedule. Hopefully that won't take me longer than a month, because I've got a decent writing schedule and I've been following it faithfully for a few weeks now. I will also try to update _Rose-Colored Lenses_ at least once between now and then so you have something new to read.

Sorry for rambling a little. I swear I will never abandon this fic. I intend to see it through to the end—I have fun plans ahead. Until then, keep reading and reviewing!

 **Chapter 35 The Beginning**

"I hear Professor Dean is teaching the Patronus charm," Professor Flitwick began. There were nods and affirmative murmurs throughout the class. Harry and Lily had only barely made it in time. "Would anyone like to demonstrate their progress?"

Groups and pairs exchanged uncertain looks, then Lily and Remus both raised their hands. Out of their whole DADA class, so far those two were the only ones able to get more than a thin wisp of silver (aside from Harry and Tonks, who weren't really trying). Flitwick called on Remus.

Remus stood and took a deep breath, readying his wand, then incanted: "Expecto Patronum." A thick mist of silver shot out of his wand, coalescing into a vaguely familiar shape before dissipating. Professor Flitwick clapped his hands in delight. Remus flushed a little and sat back down.

"Oh, well done, Mr. Lupin. You are very near a corporeal Patronus! Ten points to Gryffindor!" A few more people applauded—mostly just the Marauders—then Flitwick began again. "The reason I ask is because the Patronus charm is one of the most difficult of emotion-based charms. We're going to begin with some simpler ones now. As we go along, each of you ought to be able to improve your ability to cast a Patronus once you learn the theory, and your usual casting should drastically improve in quality. Now, an emotion-based charm…"

Flitwick began a review on intent-based magic and explained how it fit in with emotion-based charms. Harry was only sort of listening. His conversation with Lily had eased his mind somewhat, but not enough to convince him to set it aside and stop worrying about what he couldn't do. His nightmare was also not far from his mind. As a result, he lost five points for being unprepared when Flitwick called on him to demonstrate the charm they'd just been discussing. He could feel Peter's and Tonks's concerned looks throughout the whole class period, and had no idea what he could say to either of them to ease their minds.

After Charms came Arithmancy. Harry was just barely hanging on—it was only thanks to Remus's and Lily's tutoring that he hadn't flunked out already. He intended to stick it out to the end of sixth year, but after that he wasn't sure he wanted to continue. It was significantly harder than what he'd first thought. With his current state of mind, he was even less inclined to listen and attempt to understand.

After Arithmancy, it was lunchtime. Harry's appetite had still not fully returned, but he made himself eat something because he knew he'd want it later. And going to Potions with an empty stomach was a great way to make oneself sick, with all the fumes and the… _unique_ smells that always filled the room. Either way, Harry still left lunch early. He'd planned to sit outside the Potions classroom and read the textbook until class started, but Peter caught up to him about halfway there.

"Harry? Can I talk to you?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure. Just as long as we're not late to Potions."

Peter nodded, then chewed his lip nervously for a moment before speaking. "Are-are you okay?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Yeah. Why?"

"I…I don't know if the others have really noticed, but you've seemed…out of sorts recently. I…" Peter bit his lip again. "Is something worrying you?"

Harry smiled a little. "You're a lot more observant than you let on," he admitted. Then he sighed. "But you're right. I just…I hate standing by and watching people get hurt. Ever since the Hogsmeade attack, I just…I wish there was something I could do, _now_ , that would change the way this war is going."

Peter nodded, then he seemed to come to a sudden realization. "Is that why you always look so upset when those Ministry letters come in?"

Harry nodded. "Not to mention…I know how it feels to have someone close to you die." His voice grew softer. "I don't want others to go through the same thing I did, not if there's something I can do to fix it."

Peter put his hand on Harry's shoulder, prompting him to look up again. "Then do something. Even…even if you are just a student, there are things you can do. You're already teaching me and the others how to defend ourselves. You can teach others."

Harry smiled faintly. "I'm not just teaching you to defend yourselves. I'm teaching you to protect what's important."

"Then you're doing something to help," Peter said confidently. That simple statement penetrated deep. Harry's eyes widened a little in realization.

"You're right. Lily told me there was nothing I could do to change what's happening now, but…I can change the future." _I can change the future_ , Harry realized. _I_ am _changing the future._ "Thanks, Pete!" Harry exclaimed. "You're a genius!"

Peter flushed lightly at the praise, but he smiled widely. "Glad I could help. Should we go?"

Harry glanced at his watch, cursed, then took off at a run, Peter right behind him.

The pair reached the Potions classroom with just moments to spare. They exchanged a sheepish grin, then went to their separate seats.

"You're nearly late," Severus said frankly as Harry fell into his seat, slightly out of breath.

"I noticed," Harry replied breathlessly. "But I'm not late," he added cheekily.

Severus just scowled at him, then turned his attention to the front of the classroom. Professor Slughorn was writing out the instructions for the day's task on the blackboard. Harry spotted the word "poison" and remembered recently Slughorn had been lecturing on poisons and antidotes and safe brewing of both. Today they were due to start brewing.

"Everyone, attention please!" Slughorn called, clapping his hands for effect. The murmured conversations dropped off as everyone turned their attention to their professor. "Today we will begin brewing antidotes! Now, we've reviewed simple antidotes to simple poisons, and most of you have been able to correctly identify the most common ingredients in them. Today, however, you will be given a completely unknown poison. Your task is to identify the poison and ingredients and find or brew an antidote. Now, everyone come up to my desk and choose one of these phials. Don't forget your protective gloves, as some of these are corrosive!"

There was a rush for the front of the room. Harry hung back until the rush died down, then selected a phial full of acid green liquid. He took it back to his desk and dumped it in his cauldron, then referred to his potions book for the correct incantation to identify the components of a dangerous potion. Across the aisle, Harry heard a sharp gasp. He glanced toward Peter and Remus and saw that the latter had gone pale. Severus had looked, too, and he smirked.

"Did Lupin find some _wolfsbane_ , I wonder?"

"Its proper name is aconite," Harry said idly, suppressing the sudden urge to punch his seat partner. Severus made a very good show of being certain, but Harry knew he was fishing for information, just _waiting_ for one of them to slip and confirm his guess. And it was starting to get on his nerves.

"Shut up, _Snivellus_ ," Sirius hissed across the aisle. James elbowed him sharply.

"Leave it, Sirius," he hissed back.

Glancing over again, Harry saw that Peter and Remus had switched cauldrons. Remus still looked a little pale. Harry tried not to sigh, resolved to make sure Remus was all right once class was over, and then started on his own task.

"Don't pretend you don't know what he is," Severus hissed at Harry a moment or so later.

"Of course I know what he is. He's a boy, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, size twelve shoes, a regular seventeen-year-old Hogwarts student trying to pass his classes," Harry replied dryly. A muscle twitched in Severus's jaw. "He's also my friend," Harry added with a touch of anger, "and you'd be well-advised to drop your crazy ideas."

"But—"

"But _nothing._ You don't hear me making accusations about your friends—or allies, as you Slytherins like to call each other—no matter how much I disagree with them. So don't you go making accusations about _my_ friends, _especially_ since you have no proof."

Severus scowled. "One day you'll find out I'm right, and then you'll wish you'd listened to me," he muttered under his breath.

Harry barely held back a scoff. _I think_ you'll _be the one wishing you'd listened_ , he thought.

The rest of Potions class passed in a tense silence between the two. Harry focused on his potion, tuning out Severus's occasional murmurs of irritation. He had nearly finished his antidote when Professor Slughorn called time. Harry snuck in another hellebore leaf and two quick stirs while the professor inspected the other students' work. He sighed in relief when the potion turned a comforting forest green, as opposed to the violent acid color it had been. It was done. And Slughorn gave him an approving nod and awarded him ten points. His place in the top of the class was still secure.

After Potions, James, Harry, and Remus headed to Ancient Runes while Sirius and Peter went to Care of Magical Creatures. James almost immediately dropped back to try (again) to talk to Lily, who was surrounded by her roommates.

"You okay, Moony?" Harry asked Remus in an undertone. His friend still looked uneasy.

Remus shrugged and didn't answer right away. After a moment, though, he said, "Snape suspects, doesn't he?"

"You didn't notice until now?" Harry asked wryly. "But…yeah, he does. I'm doing my best to talk him out of it, but…he's stubborn."

Remus tightened his hand on his bag strap and averted his eyes. "What…what if he does find out?"

Harry put his hand on Remus's shoulder. "Then I'll swear him to silence by whatever means necessary. But he won't find out, not if I can help it."

Remus smiled faintly. "Thanks…Russet."

Harry squeezed Remus's shoulder before letting go. "What are friends for? Come on; if we don't hurry, we'll be late for Runes."

Later that evening, Harry and the Marauders sat in their usual spot working on homework. Harry was struggling to understand and complete his Arithmancy assignment, due in two days, even with Remus's help. James was teasing him good-naturedly about not being the genius he wanted everyone to think he was while Sirius teased Peter for no good reason, keeping both of them from getting anything done. It was starting to get late, most of the younger years having already retired to their dorms. It was mostly just OWL and NEWT students still awake, studying.

"I give up!" Harry exclaimed dramatically, throwing his hands into the air.

"You really are hopeless," Remus said dryly. "Are you sure you're even trying?"

"How did you pass the OWL in the first place?" James cut in.

"Third through fifth year stuff is easy. It's practically the same as maths in muggle primary school. But this is totally different!"

"Then drop out already," Peter said mildly.

"I would, if it weren't for the fact that _next_ year we actually get to learn spell creation," Harry lamented.

"You've already created some spells, though" Sirius pointed out. "Like that confetti one we keep using."

Harry flushed. "Those aren't entirely new, though; they're modified. The confetti one is a modified _scourify_ , except instead of bubbles, it's confetti. I've never created an entirely new spell before."

"And you won't be able to unless you can get these equations into your head," Remus said frankly.

"So you either study until your brain can't take anymore, or you drop out," Peter finished.

"Ugh," Harry grunted. "I'm going to take a break—a _quiet_ break," he corrected when Sirius opened his mouth. Sirius pouted. Harry just picked up his Potions textbook and got to his feet, intending to read for a little while in a quieter part of the common room.

"It's not a break if you're still reading a textbook," Sirius grumbled as Harry started away. Harry just rolled his eyes and headed toward the window seat in the back corner of the common room.

When he got there, Harry was surprised to find it already occupied—students generally preferred to stay nearer the fireplace, especially since it was just barely getting warmer. The occupant was even more surprising. Nearly all the other students below fifth year had already gone to bed, but the person on the window seat was a third-year boy. And not just any third year, either; Harry recognized him as the one who'd left breakfast early after receiving one of the black envelopes from the Ministry.

"Hey," Harry said gently. The boy looked up sharply, then hurriedly turned away and scrubbed at his face with his sleeve. Harry pretended not to notice. "Can I sit here?"

The boy shrugged, hugging his knees tighter to his chest. Taking that as permission, Harry sat beside him.

"What's your name?"

"Jacob Ellison," came the soft, slightly hoarse reply. Then the boy looked up suddenly, his gaze piercing. "Why do you care?"

Harry smiled sadly. "Because I've been where you are, and I know what it's like."

"That's what everyone says," the boy grumbled. "But they're lying."

"So you don't feel a pit in your stomach whenever you think about it, or an ache in your throat? You don't feel like nothing will ever make it better, and you don't wish everyone would stop telling you 'I'm sorry for your loss' and 'it will be okay'?"

Jacob looked up again, his damp eyes wide. "You know," he said in faint amazement.

"I know. And I also know that it will never be 'okay.' You'll always miss them. But it gets better, or you get stronger," Harry said quietly. "But," he added as the younger boy's lower lip trembled and his eyes grew wet, "it _is_ okay _not_ to be okay."

Jacob nodded, then he buried his face in his knees again. Harry gently placed an arm around the boy's trembling shoulders, and used his Occlumency to keep his own emotions locked away.

"Is he okay?"

Harry looked up in faint surprise at the soft voice, and James smiled sheepishly.

"I happened to glance over and I recognized him from this morning. I…I was actually going to check on him, because I saw him over here earlier, but you got there first."

Harry smiled a little and glanced down at the sleeping form of the younger boy. Jacob was leaning into Harry's side, straw-colored hair hanging in his eyes and lending an innocent look to his sleeping face. "I think he'll be okay. He's strong."

"How do you know?"

Harry shrugged. "I just do."

James nodded and a moment passed in silence. "I don't want to wake him, but it's late. He should be in his dorm."

Harry smirked a little as a familiar emerald gaze flickered in their direction. "Want to carry him to bed? I still have homework."

"What?"

"Turn around," Harry ordered, keeping his voice down. James opened his mouth to protest, but a look from Harry silenced him and he obeyed. Carefully, so as not to wake him, Harry lifted the thirteen-year-old onto James's back, piggy-back style. "Should be easy enough to find his bed in the third-year dorm."

"I'd better get something out of this," James grumbled. He adjusted his grip on the boy so he wouldn't slip off his back, then started toward the staircase. Harry noticed, however, that James didn't seem particularly unwilling. He smirked again when the same familiar emerald gaze followed James up the stairs until he rounded a curve. Then Harry returned to the other Marauders.

"Good going getting James out of the way," Sirius murmured.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "So? What's the plan?"

"The plan…is only prank him a little bit. Then, next Friday, we unleash chaos." Sirius rubbed his hands together in anticipation, his eyes glinting. A tiny sliver of fear entered Harry's heart.

"It is a bit pointless to do two big pranks only a week apart," Remus mused.

"And the best way to prank a prankster is to not prank him at all," Peter put in.

"So let's get to work."

Harry couldn't help but smile. He was looking forward to this.

A/N: Please review; I need prank ideas! April Fool's is coming up (in story time) and I want to make it memorable. Give me whatever you've got!


	35. Calm

I'm back! I apologize for the long wait; real life got in the way and my muse wanted to focus on some of my original works rather than this. But like I promised, I have _not_ abandoned this fic, nor will I ever. I know authors say that and then do it anyway, but trust me. I won't ever abandon a story. I want to be a novelist; I can't accomplish that goal if I can't finish a measly fanfiction, now, can I?

Anyway, I have two chapters complete after this one and a rough outline for the next two or three after that. So y'all are set for a good while. I'll be updating once a month, just so I don't get ahead of myself and make you wait forever for a new chapter again. So, without further ado, enjoy! Don't forget to leave your reviews!

 **36 The Calm**

"Are you sure you're ready, James?"

"I'm ready. You're going down!"

"If he wins, will you give up your place on the team?" Sirius teased.

"Like hell he's going to win!"

"Sorry to break it to you, James, but he's the best seeker I've ever seen. And I've seen professionals play," Tonks said, grinning.

"But you haven't seen _me_ play."

"Um, James, aren't you forgetting all those pickup games we played over Christmas? You know, the ones where Harry beat you _every single time_?"

"Guys, stop it," Harry protested, morphing away a flush.

"Nuh-uh. You deserve praise every now and then, kid," Tonks said, affectionately ruffling his hair. "These two, however…"

"Oy!" James exclaimed.

"I'm a growing boy! I need pretty words to grow up big and strong."

"For your head to grow, you mean," Peter said, grinning. Sirius gave him a mock-hurt look and Remus rolled his eyes.

"Why don't we just get started? Otherwise these two will never shut up," he said mildly.

"I'm looking forward to it," Marlene cut in. She and the rest of the sixth-year Gryffindor girls—Lily with some reluctance—had gathered as well as soon as they'd heard about the seeker's match Harry and James were going to do. Word had spread throughout most of Gryffindor as well, and naturally the rest of the Quidditch team was there to watch, too. So while the small group of friends stood on the pitch, the stands were filling. Harry wasn't a fan of all the spectators; he'd intended for this to be a friendly showdown. But according to Sirius, betting pools were starting (Harry suspected by Tonks).

"Then let's get started," James said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Harry rolled his eyes.

"All right. Everyone but Frank and the competitors, clear the field!" Tonks called. The seven remaining on the field took their seats in the stands. Tonks was playing referee, and Frank Longbottom, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, was the one with the ball case. They were only releasing the snitch, and a practice one at that, but he was the only one Madame Hooch (much younger but still fierce) trusted with them.

"Competitors, take your places!" Frank called. Harry and James exchanged a grin, then mounted their brooms and got ready to kick off. "Good luck to the both of you," Frank said, smirking. "A ten-second head-start to the snitch, then you can kick off."

"Ready to eat my dust?" James asked.

"Are you ready to be frozen in awe?" Harry retorted, grinning. He made a big deal out of this _not_ being a big deal, but he still wanted to win. He had some fun ideas for loser punishment, too.

"Three. Two. One. Go!" Frank counted off. He released the snitch, and seconds later James and Harry shot into the air in opposite directions. Those assembled cheered loudly.

Harry grinned at the rush of wind past his ears. The cheers faded as he climbed. He'd missed flying on the pitch. He felt most at home and most free in the air. He did a few tricks and spins just to show off, then began lazily looping around the pitch, searching for the tiny, walnut-sized gold ball. Out of the corner of his eye he also watched James. The other boy was showing off a little, too, with a few loop-de-loops and a corkscrew. Another grin split Harry's face as he went right into a feint, just to see if James would follow. He did, but as he drew even with Harry he stuck his tongue out.

"You'll have to try harder than that."

"Just thought I'd see how competent you are. At least you haven't disappointed me yet," Harry countered, then he pulled up into a rapid ascent that James could barely keep up with. His trusty Firebolt had yet to fail him, but the fact that James was so close on a Cleansweep 5 (old in the future; currently, the latest model) was a testament to his skill. This wouldn't be as easy as Harry had thought it would be.

The snitch had yet to be spotted ten minutes later. During that time, both James and Harry had shown off some of their tricks, each trying to one-up the other. Then suddenly James went into a dive. Harry spotted the flicker of gold at the same time, and dove for it himself. His firebolt caught up quickly, but James stayed level with him. They didn't waste time with taunts; both were pushing their brooms to the limit. The snitch darted between the stands, and the boys made chase, dipping and weaving around the support beams. Then the snitch banked sharply to the right and Harry barely managed to avoid one of the support beams in following. James grazed one of them with his head, and they both lost sight of the golden ball. Cursing and grumbling, they soared back toward the middle of the pitch.

"Not bad," Harry conceded, slightly breathless.

"This snitch is tricky," James replied. Then he gave Harry a cocky grin. "But I'm still gonna catch it."

Harry grinned back. "Not if I get there first."

After that, there were several close calls. The snitch just barely eluded capture for another thirty minutes. Rather than being frustrated, though, Harry grew more excited as the moments passed. This was definitely a worthy battle. From James's flushed face and wide grin, it was clear he felt the same.

Suddenly Harry caught a flicker of gold in the corner of his eye. Without hesitation he pursued it, weaving around the goal posts and diving toward the ground after the elusive snitch. James was hot on his tail, trying all the tricks in the book to unseat Harry. Harry paid him back in kind. Neck-in-neck, sometimes with James ahead, sometimes with Harry in the lead, they chased the snitch around the entire pitch. Harry could hear nothing but the wind whistling in his ears, though he could see the crowd cheering—it had grown in the last half-hour.

The snitch sharply changed directions, now shooting into the sky. Harry and James followed, pushing their brooms to the limit and beyond. Then suddenly it dived. Harry shot after it like a bullet. James was just behind him, but he was slightly more cautious. Harry had no compunctions about angling his broom straight down and shooting toward the ground, which approached at an alarming rate. James came down at a sharp angle. Harry's vision filled with the little gold ball, which came closer and closer with every passing second. His ears popped from the sudden pressure change. The ground was two hundred feet down, a hundred fifty. A hundred. Seventy-five feet. Harry was still going straight down, the snitch nearly within reach. He reached out a hand. Fifty feet. Forty feet. James was hot on his tail, but looking less and less certain. Harry's fingertips were inches from the snitch. Thirty feet. Twenty. Fifteen. Harry lurched forward. James rolled his broom, his nails scraping Harry's wrist. Ten feet. James hesitated, and Harry's fingertips closed around the snitch. Five feet above the grassy pitch, he sharply pulled his broom up. The sudden lack of motion sent Harry tumbling to the ground. The impact knocked his breath out. James landed breathlessly beside him, his eyes wide.

"I win," Harry said as soon as his breath came back.

"You're _insane_!"

Harry grinned, breathing hard now. "But I still won."

"Harrison Jay!"

"Heh," Harry said sheepishly. "It was nice knowing you."

"James Potter!"

"Good luck, mate," James replied, shaking his head. "I admit my loss, fair and square. You are officially the crazier one here."

"Harrison!"

Harry got to his feet. "I suggest you run," he said to James. James's eyes widened again, then he glanced toward the stands. Everyone was flooding down to offer their congratulations. Leading the pack was Tonks, her hair fiery red. She was storming toward Harry with murderous intent. Beside her was Lily, looking almost as furious.

" _I_ suggest _you_ run," James said. Harry glanced at his surrogate sister, then at James, then at his broomstick.

"Together?"

James grinned. "Together." They mounted their brooms and shot into the sky, laughing as the two girls just barely missed.

"Go forth, great Prongs, victorious Russet! May your journey be fruitful!" Sirius called after them.

"Don't let them catch you!" Peter called.

"I'll leave the dormitory window open!" Remus was grinning widely. Harry glanced back and was rewarded with the sight of Tonks smacking Remus over the head, clearly shouting at him for being irresponsible though her words were lost. Lily was yelling at Peter.

"Great match," Harry said.

"I'd demand a rematch, but you'd probably pull another crazy stunt that I can't imitate and you'd win again. My pride can't take that kind of beating more than once," James replied. He reached a hand out and brushed the leaves of a nearby tree, grinning when he caught a bowtruckle unawares. The creature scurried away, squeaking.

"Doesn't look so scary from above," Harry mused, glancing down at the new leaves beginning to sprout in the Forbidden Forest.

"Do you think we should go back now?"

Harry shrugged. "We'll go in through the dorm window. We'll get our comeuppance eventually, but it's better to wait for the girls to calm down."

"Do you think Lily was actually worried about me?" James asked as they turned around and started flying back toward the castle.

Harry grinned. "Definitely. She probably couldn't restrain herself. You might not be as reckless as me, but that was still a pretty risky move; most seekers would pull up at twenty feet."

James smiled dreamily, then nearly crashed into a tree trunk. Laughing, Harry sped up. James followed, and they raced back to the castle. James beat him by two inches, and they slipped through the window Remus had left open, as promised.

"So, what's the punishment going to be?" Sirius asked, rubbing his hands together. Harry put a finger to his lips.

"It's a secret," he replied, giving James a sly look. James's expression turned sufficiently frightened. "He'll just have to wait and see."

James certainly did see. All day on Sunday, students and teachers alike were constantly coming up to him and demanding to know why they'd seen him leaving the Charms classroom trailing confetti, or why the banners in the Great Hall were mixed up, when they'd been fine right before he'd left breakfast. James had lost about twenty points from Gryffindor by lunchtime, but he didn't remember doing what he'd lost them for. Three different girls came up to him at different times that afternoon to ask when he'd take them to Hogsmeade—he'd asked them out in the morning. And he couldn't figure out why Lily kept looking at him with that strange look on her face. It almost looked…appraising.

Meanwhile, four James Potter doppelgangers were running amok through the castle, courtesy of a combination of glamour charms and light doses of Polyjuice potion (stolen in one of their first Potions lessons of the year and sitting under stasis all this time). They'd make the mess, James would get the credit, and everyone would be happy. Of course, more than once each doppelganger had received birthday wishes meant for their friend. (James and all his doppelgangers wore a colorful cardboard crown that read "It's my birthday!" Only James's was stuck to his head with a sticking charm.) But none of them minded; birthday wishes were easily passed on. Usually with subtle color-changing charms and other harmless prank spells.

It wasn't until dinner that James saw all his friends together. For some reason that he couldn't fathom, there was always at least one missing when the group gathered. Harry and Remus made sense—they were always studying, even on weekends. Or Harry was with his sister. But Sirius and Peter missing from a Marauder gathering was more than a little strange.

"So, how's the birthday boy doing?" Sirius asked, loading his plate with roast potatoes and three meat pies.

"It's been the weirdest birthday I've ever had," James said, pulling at his hair. "Like, Frank came up to me this morning and told me 'good job' on pranking the charms classroom—but I haven't been anywhere near there today! And girls I've hardly talked to are asking me if I'm going to keep my promise and take them to Hogsmeade in two weeks. And Lily keeps staring at me!"

"Isn't that last one a good thing?" Peter asked.

" _Yes_ , but I don't understand what _that_ stare means!"

"Is it different from the usual 'stop being an arse' stare?" Remus asked, hiding a smirk.

"I didn't know there was a difference," Sirius put in around a mouthful of potatoes. Then he grunted, spraying potato. Everyone around him grimaced in disgust (except James was laughing, too).

"Stop talking with your mouth full," Harry hissed, having been the one to elbow Sirius in the stomach. "Honestly, you're worse than Ron," he grumbled to himself. He ignored Sirius's "Who's Ron?" because his mouth was still full of food.

"You mean you haven't been running around the castle making trouble?" Peter asked, feigning ignorance.

" _No_! I mean, I _did_ switch the banners in the Great Hall, but I haven't done anything else!"

"Then someone must have been running around wearing your face," Harry said reasonably, hiding a smile. As fun as the prank was, in this case it was funnier if James figured it out.

"But that's impossible, unless they had Polyjuice. But they would have also needed some of my hair or something!" James pulled at his hair again, then he suddenly turned a calculating look on all of them. Each of them plastered on the most innocent look they could manage, with varying success. Sirius was all but failing, with a huge smirk threatening to break across his face. Peter's eye kept twitching. Remus and Harry were the only ones who were completely successful. Of course, because the other two were giving it away, they were still subject to suspicion.

"There are only a handful of people in the whole castle that have easy access to both Polyjuice potion _and_ my hair," James began. "Since Sirius was my accomplice in stealing said potion, he was obviously the facilitator. And _one_ of us already has a history of impersonating his fellow Marauders." James fixed Harry with a pointed look; Harry did his best to keep his innocent face on. It was hard, though; James's manner reminded him of Sherlock Holmes when solving a mystery. "Not to mention I was due some kind of prank for losing the seeker's match before. _Therefore_ , Harry had to have been the mastermind."

"Does that mean we're off the hook?" Peter asked, trying and failing to hide a grin. Remus didn't bother to try.

"Not in the slightest." He grinned at the calculating look James turned on the pair of them.

"Remus, you're the only one who would ask girls out on dates in my name and _not_ try to shag them in a broom closet," James said, glaring at Sirius (who shrugged innocently) before turning to Peter. "And Pete, you're the only one who would think of letting the mice from McGonagall's classroom loose." Peter looked sheepish.

" _Therefore_ ," James began with a flourish, "All of you were in on it, and spent today getting me in trouble."

"Happy birthday, Po—oh, fine. _James._ Happy birthday, James."

Harry and the others burst into laughter as James's jaw dropped in shock. Lily's face turned pink, then she huffed and swept away with her roommates. Marlene winked at James as they passed.

When James finally recovered, he turned to the Marauders, his eyes wide. "Whatever you did, _thank you!_ "

That only made them laugh harder.

The following week, James was on a sort of high. Thanks to a little intervention and a few well-placed words by both Remus and Harry, Lily was being almost…polite to James. She greeted him in classes (though it was a forced greeting and was usually preceded by urging from her roommates), she refrained from insulting him (unless he did something stupid enough even his best friends were laughing at him), and she even called him James on occasion. James proclaimed that was the best birthday present he'd ever gotten, and that included the tickets to the first World Cup qualifier game that fall the four other Marauders had pooled their money to purchase for him.

Thanks to James's good mood, the rest of the Marauders were in high spirits as well. Every moment they weren't studying or in class, the five of them were preparing for April Fool's day, which was that coming Friday. The plans had been in place for several weeks prior, and they were more than a little excited. The Marauders' excitement turned into uneasiness throughout the rest of the school, who knew something big was coming—something big always happened on April first.

The first sign that something wasn't right was when Lily bumped into a chair in the common room on her way down to breakfast. No, she wasn't still half-asleep. No, she wasn't distracted. There simply wasn't supposed to be a chair there, and yet there was. Blinking confusedly, she turned in a slow circle. Everything was where it was supposed to be—and yet it wasn't. It was messing with her head.

Beside her, Marlene was eyeing the room through her narrowed gaze. Suddenly she exclaimed, "Aha!" and pointed toward the boys' staircase. "Come on out; you've been found out."

"Aw, no fair, Marlene!" James emerged from the shadows by the stairs, looking sheepish. "I just wanted to see if she'd figure it out!"

"Figure _what_ out, Potter?" Lily demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

"The trick, obviously," Harry said with a smile, emerging from behind a chair. "We also wanted to see at least a few people react before going down for breakfast."

"But I guess this is good enough. Let's go, guys," Remus said, stepping out from a shadow by the portrait hole.

"Fine. Let me know if she ever figures it out, though," James said cheekily to Marlene.

She grinned. "Move it, Potter, before she gets preemptive revenge for the pranks today."

James squeaked, sounding very much like the brown rat on Remus's shoulder, and fled. Laughing, Harry and Remus followed.

Once outside the common room, Peter transformed back. "Do you think Sirius is done yet?"

"He went down pretty early; he's probably more than done and just eating breakfast in the kitchens," Remus said dryly.

"We'll have to make sure he gets dosed, too, or he'll get in trouble," Peter said.

"Nah. He can take the fall. I don't mind getting off scott-free," James said, smirking.

"Nor me." Harry grinned. "Though he'll probably fit in fine just by being himself."

Peter smiled wryly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Presently they arrived at the Great Hall, and they shared a grin before flicking their wands—Harry flicking his twice. The House banners hanging from the ceiling shuffled themselves so Ravenclaw was where Gryffindor should be, Hufflepuff where Slytherin should be, and so on. No one already sitting down noticed, but it was those coming in that would be fun to watch. Just for the sake of the prank, the five Marauders sat under the Gryffindor banner, which was over the Ravenclaw table, and acted like they belonged there.

"Wrong table," came an amused voice from a few seats down. Glancing over, Harry recognized him as the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, though he boy's name escaped him.

"But this is the table under the Gryffindor banner; therefore, it's the Gryffindor table," James replied innocently.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Nice try. That's the Ravenclaw banner—" He cut himself off when he spotted the brilliant red and gold banner hanging over their heads.

Harry shrugged. "Happy April Fool's Day," he said with a smile.

"Well, I'm hardly going to be bothered to move. Should I prepare myself for more unwanted visitors?"

Remus shrugged. "Only if they're in the mood."

The Ravenclaw nodded, though he still looked faintly amused, and turned back to his breakfast. The Marauders did the same, watching out of the corners of their eyes for more victims of their playful prank. Mostly it was first-and second-year students that got caught, though quite a few older students joined in the fun just like the Marauders did, especially if they had friends in the other houses. Only the Slytherins, with perhaps three or four exceptions, looked especially put out. To be fair, their table _was_ being invaded by first- and second-year Hufflepuffs. At least, those first- and second-years who weren't intimidated by the glares.

Throughout breakfast and the rest of the morning, the Marauders entertained themselves by listening to the rumors spreading. Apparently, every single House common room had been rearranged somehow, as had most of the major classrooms (though they hadn't dared mess with McGonagall's classroom). Paintings on the walls had been rearranged, or their inhabitants in frames not their own when the paintings wouldn't come off. One of the side corridors had been painted in a neon rainbow and another had been spread with cushioning charms all down its length, so that one felt as though he were walking on clouds. Other miscellaneous charms and minor jinxes were applied all over the castle, so no one knew exactly what they might run into.

But all that was only the beginning. The banners were still mixed up, though differently this time. By now, though, everyone was either ignoring it or going along with the prank. With the exception of the Slytherins, there was a great deal of mixing amongst the houses. Though, that didn't mean there weren't students wearing ties in colors other than green at the Slytherin table. One of them was Harry, appointed by the Marauders as the one to witness their lunchtime prank. Additionally, Harry only trusted himself not to take advantage of it.

"About time we saw you here again. I was starting to think we'd scared you off," Regulus said with a faint smirk.

"Aw, did you miss me?" Harry asked, grinning, as he sat down across from Severus and the younger boy.

"Of course I did," Regulus retorted, then his eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Then his eyes narrowed. "You idiots had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"Of course we did," Harry replied, then he pressed his lips together while Regulus smirked, not quite laughing. "Though it seems this table got a stronger dose." He glared over his shoulder toward where the other Marauders were sitting at the Hufflepuff table. "You're lucky I managed to convince them to use a Babbling potion, rather than Veritaserum."

"We might be better off not talking at all," Severus said. "Though eavesdropping would be entertaining."

"What do you know, you have something in common with Gryffindors after all," Harry said. "Or maybe it's the other way around—Sirius does come from a Slytherin family."

"And there's something wrong with that?" Regulus demanded.

Harry quickly backpedaled—the Babbling potion had words leaving his mouth before he had a chance to filter them. "Not at all. But this was Sirius's idea. He was hoping to learn some dark secrets from the Slytherins, Severus especially."

"You mean _Black_ was behind this?" Severus sneered.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop snarling my name like that," Regulus said irritably. "I'm a Black, too, you know. And even if Sirius and I don't get along, he's still my brother." Regulus pressed his lips together; obviously he hadn't intended to say that much, if he'd intended to say anything at all.

"He shouldn't be, not anymore," Severus retorted. Then his face paled and he bit his lip, obviously trying not to say something else.

"He certainly hasn't been acting like a brother should, not to Regulus anyway."

"I wish he would," Regulus said, then he scowled.

"Are you going home for Easter next week?"

"What?" Both Severus and Regulus were taken aback by the sudden change of subject. Harry rubbed the back of his nec, smiling sheepishly.

"I mean Regulus, so his mum can—mphph." Regulus had reached across the table and pressed his hand over Harry's mouth, glaring fiercely. His expression said far more than words could at the moment: a mix of fear, embarrassment, and anger.

"Sorry," Harry said when Regulus finally removed his hand.

"Maybe you'd better just shut up for now," he said. Harry nodded.

"Are you going home, though, Severus?" Regulus asked, carrying on the conversation. Severus's face darkened.

"No reason to, now that it's empty," he muttered. Severus scowled fiercely but couldn't stop the next words that came out of his mouth. "Dad's in jail and Mum's at St. Mungo's. Three guesses as to who put her there."

"Did he hurt you, too?"

"I _thought_ you were supposed to shut up," Severus snarled.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but for once no words came.

"If you say _anything_ to Black and Potter I will personally hunt you down and curse you to within an inch of your life," Severus threatened. Harry was forcibly reminded of his future Potions professor and wisely kept his mouth shut. "I'm going to class. This had better wear off soon." Then Severus swept away from the table and stalked toward the door. Harry put his hand over his mouth to stop the comment he wanted to make.

"How long until it wears off?" Regulus demanded.

"It's supposed to last two hours from the time of last consumption. And since most of the food is dosed…" Harry looked sheepish. "It will probably wear off by dinner," he offered. "If it's any comfort, I'll probably be—"

"That's _not_ a comfort. You know too much." Regulus glared. "If I could, I'd force you stay away from Potter and his gang until it wears off."

"I'll hex myself before I give away any of your secrets," Harry said solemnly. "You're my honorary brother, and brothers— _true_ brothers," Harry added when he saw the look on Regulus's face, "—don't betray one another."

"That only makes me more depressed. I'll see you around," he said, then Regulus left, too.

"You really know how to stick your foot in your mouth," came a voice beside Harry. He turned and saw two of the Slytherin chasers, Greengrass and Davis. It was Davis who had spoken.

"They'll hate you if they knew you were listening," Harry pointed out, trying not to be intimidated by the two seventh years.

"It's nothing we didn't already know. Despite how it seems, nothing really stays secret for long among Slytherins." Greengrass said, shrugging. "Frankly, I'm glad someone on the outside knows. They'll destroy themselves if they don't stop pretending to be tough." The older boy's eyes widened, then he shrugged. "Babbling potion, you said? Nothing new; I don't usually think before I speak anyway."

Davis laughed and Harry forced a smile. "I'm heading to class," he said, nodding to the pair of them before leaving. He wasn't sure why, but he felt very disconcerted. Maybe it was because he rarely spoke to the other Slytherins, at least those fifth year and older. But somehow, he'd never really seen them as…normal people before. Yeah, he hated the idea of bullying them, because nobody deserved to be picked on no matter how much of an outsider they were. But Davis and Greengrass seemed…normal, relaxed. Neither of them was even upset about the prank, which Harry hadn't expected. And they hadn't even hesitated to talk to a Gryffindor.

Harry glanced back, and his eyes widened when he saw two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff sitting near Greengrass and Davis, evidently talking with them. He recognized the three as members of their own respective Quidditch teams. And yet the group seemed friendly, more like rivals than enemies. He'd intended for people to mix and mingle outside their own house when he'd suggested the prank on the banners in the Great Hall, but he hadn't expected so many people to take advantage of it. As he crossed to where his friends were, he realized just how blurred the House lines really were at the moment. And he couldn't help a slight smile.


	36. The Pressure Rises

Welcome back! I apologize in advance for how short this chapter is in comparison to other chapters. But if I went on any longer it would be _too_ long. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave your reviews and comments below!

 **37 The Pressure Rises**

Harry's next class was Charms. It was one of two NEWT classes that were still held like in earlier years because of its popularity. And it was currently Gryffindor and Slytherin. Professor Flitwick had come up with the "fun" idea of having a charms duel—a duel in which only charms could be used. Granted, quite a few defensive spells that Harry knew of were named "charms," and he had started to think this would be far too easy. Then Professor Flitwick added the condition that the duelists were not allowed to target the other person directly.

"That means you aren't allowed to target anything on their person, such as robes, hair, wand, etc., or your opponent directly—speech, limbs, etc. You can only affect the environment around them," Flitwick explained with a twinkle in his eye.

"The perfect April Fool's day duel," Sirius whispered to Harry's right.

"But wouldn't that duel be impossible to win?" one of the Slytherin girls asked.

"That's where your imagination comes in," Flitwick said with a wink. "Each duel will be two minutes long, and the one who has the upper hand at the end of those two minutes will be the winner. And no pairing up with your friends—choose someone new!"

There was a chorus of groans, but everyone obliged. Amongst the scraping of chairs and desks, the class slowly broke into pairs. Marlene commandeered Harry's partnership, and her roommates chose the other Gryffindor boys. Harry grinned when he realized that somehow (perhaps by design), Lily and James had ended up as partners (as had Tonks and Remus). Across the room, the Slytherins had divided into pairs as well, mostly in boy-girl groupings like the Gryffindors, but Severus had ended up paired with Avery, and two girls were paired together.

"I will call two groups up at a time. The rest of you stand to the side so as not to be in the way." Professor Flitwick looked on as everyone moved to the walls. He surveyed the group briefly, then called up "Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, and Mr. Goyle and Miss Selwin."

James and Lily went to the middle of the room, James grinning and Lily looking determined but wary. Goyle and a girl with long brown hair in a thick braid down her back took the other side of the empty space. Each set of opponents faced each other and Flitwick gave a final warning about targeting the other person directly. Then he raised his wand, counted down, and said "Begin!" over a pop like a firecracker that left his wand tip smoking slightly.

Spells immediately began flying through the empty space. It was virtually silent but for huffs or grunts and gasps from the watching crowd. Harry watched James and Lily. Both were extremely competent, dodging around conjured items, flashing lights, and a stray _glacius_ spell from Goyle. James's spells leaned toward the dramatic, from using loud bangs and colored lights as distractions to charming his own shoelaces to tie Lily's ankles together and making a chair dance across the room and knocking Lily to the floor. Lily's spells were less dramatic but no less effective. Conjured fog temporarily blinded half the class while Lily laid a few well-placed charms that activated when James stepped on certain areas of the floor. One glued his shoes in place and another sent him reeling backward, his hands over his ears before he realized the earsplitting screech was in his head and cancelled the spell.

By the end of the two minutes, neither one had the upper hand and the duel was declared a draw. Goyle was on his back, either sleeping or unconscious, while his opponent smirked over him, the clear victor.

"Well done!" Flitwick said after reviving Goyle. "An excellent display!" Flitckwick clapped lightly, smiling. "Next, Miss Mckinnon and Mr. Carter, and Mr. Faulkner and Miss Glaston."

Harry stepped forward with Marlene, who was grinning at him. The two Slytherins looked bored as they took their places and faced each other. With another pop and more smoke, the duel began.

It was harder than it looked, coming up with spells that didn't target a person directly in a duel. A number of times Harry barely refrained from casting a disarming charm or some other similar spell. Marlene seemed to be having the same trouble. Her brow furrowed in concentration and for a short moment the two stood staring each other down, not casting anything. Then Harry had an idea.

He cast the same fog-conjuring spell Lily had before, then cast a disillusionment charm—on himself. While Marlene was busy trying to clear the fog, Harry cast a few more disillusionment charms and a few banishing charms and a few levitation charms. When the fog cleared, Marlene found herself standing in an empty space. Her eyes narrowed, she started pacing around, looking for Harry—and promptly bumped into something. She adjusted her path, and bumped into something else with a grunt, this time hitting her head. After a few more seconds of this, Harry released his levitation charms and there was a series of _crashes_ that made Marlene jump. Then she found herself slipping. Arms windmilling, she fell onto her back. When she tried to get up, she discovered she was pinned.

"Time!" Flitwick exclaimed. With a smile, Harry lifted the disillusionment charms he'd cast to reveal several of the desks in a veritable minefield around his dueling area. This also revealed that Marlene was pinned down by two chairs and a sticking charm. Harry also lifted the charm on himself and smiled triumphantly.

"Sorry, but I was going to win that one."

"Well done, Mr. Carter! Very good use of your surroundings and the disillusionment charm. Five points to Gryffindor for extra creativity!"

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, cancelling the sticking charm on Marlene and helping her to her feet. She dusted herself off and fixed Harry with a calculating look. He shrugged and the two returned to their spots.

And it went on, two pairs dueling at a time. Tonks's and Remus's duel was fun to watch, neither of them giving an inch but Tonks eventually gaining the upper hand. Time ran out before she could properly win, though, and Remus insisted he would have been able to turn it around. Lastly, it was Sirius versus Mary and Severus versus Avery. Already Harry had a bad feeling about it.

"Begin!" Flitwick called, and the duel began. Sirius focused on Mary at first, and used chairs and quills and other mundane objects to do the work for him. Then one of his color-changing charms hit Severus on the shoulder, turning his robes neon pink. Everyone else probably thought it was an accident, but Harry knew Sirius's aim was better than that—he'd deliberately aimed that spell at Severus.

"Nice robes, Snivellus," Sirius taunted, dodging out of the way of Mary's _glacius_ charm on the floor. Severus's mouth tightened but otherwise he didn't react—and Harry inwardly applauded him for it.

Next Sirius sent a book flying toward Mary, only for it to hit Severus in the back of the head.

"Watch it, Black," Severus sneered.

"I believe _I'm_ your opponent, Snape," Avery pointed out. His expression was pleasant enough, but the tightness in his tone suggested otherwise.

With a last glare, Severus turned his attention back to Avery. He fired off a _scourgify_ on the floor, which made Avery stumble on the soapy water. Mary cast a _talantallegra_ at a chair, but Sirius deflected it—toward Severus. Unsuspecting, Severus's legs started dancing uncontrollably. Several people laughed and Severus's face darkened. Sirius's next move was to cast _aguamenti_ at the ceiling, making it rain down on both pairs of duelists. Somehow, Severus got the brunt of it. Dripping, his legs still flailing around, Severus glowered and leveled his wand at Sirius, ready to retaliate. Then Flitwick called "Time!"

With a wave of his wand, the diminutive charms professor cancelled out any and all spells that were still active in the classroom. Severus's legs stopped flailing, though he was still soaked. His robes also reverted to normal.

"That's it for today. Put the chairs and desks back, please, then you can go on to your next class," Flitwick instructed. With more scraping, desks and chairs were pushed back into place, school bags were gathered, and the classroom was emptied. Harry hung back to help, so most of the class went on ahead of him.

As they were leaving, Sirius cast another spell at Severus's back. A stream of strawberry-scented shampoo shot out of his wand and into the Slytherin's still-dripping hair.

Severus whirled, a curse already on his lips. Once he was facing them, Sirius burst into laughter.

"That's…that's a good look for you...Snivellus!" he exclaimed breathlessly. Severus's face was framed by pink, soapy bubbles that encased his whole head like a helmet. "Maybe now girls won't be scared off by your greasy hair!"

"Knock it off, Sirius," Remus said, but there was hesitation there.

"Doesn't it look good, though, Moony?" Sirius replied. Remus's expression tightened as James elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

"Watch it with the nickname," he muttered.

Sirius ignored him. "Now all that's left to do is rinse it off!" Sirius flicked his wand, lifting Severus off his feet and upside-down. Then he sprayed another _aguamenti_ charm directly into the Slytherin's face.

Sputtering, his face slowly turning red, Severus said, "You. Will. _Pay_ for this, _Black_!"

Sirius smirked. "Make me," he taunted.

 _Wham_. Even upside-down, Severus managed to swing his fist and nail Sirius right in the nose. Sirius's eyes widened in shock, then his face turned furious.

"This is too good for you, Snivellus." Sirius raised his wand and pointed it directly between Severus's eyes. "I'm going to need to think long and hard about how to get you back for that. Just you wait, you greasy half-blood. _You're_ going to be the one paying."

Sirius cancelled his charm, sending Severus to the ground in a sodden heap, then he walked away.

That was when Harry appeared. He saw Severus slowly getting to his feet, nursing a cut on his forehead where he hit the stone floor. Sirius was walking away with James hurrying after him, and Remus and Peter hovered, unsure, just out of the way. Harry's eyes narrowed as he pieced together what must have happened. He looked directly at Remus, whose eyes widened at the intensity in Harry's look.

"Fifteen points lost and detention with McGonagall," Harry said. "That's the least he deserves."

"Wh-who?" Remus asked.

" _Sirius_ , obviously. That prat needs some sense knocked into him. If you won't do it, I will."

Remus nodded, looking faintly relieved that someone else was taking responsibility. "I'll tell him."

"You guys get to class, then. And Pete? Would you mind punching Sirius for me?" Harry asked.

"Sni—er, Snape already punched him," Peter answered.

"Then punch him again," Harry said darkly. Peter nodded quickly, then he and Remus set off for class. Harry turned to Severus and offered his hand, because he wasn't yet standing. Severus smacked his hand away, glowering.

"I don't need help," he sneered. "And I don't need some stupid Gryffindor defending me," he snapped. Severus picked up his schoolbag and turned to go.

"Well, this _stupid Gryffindor_ is about to tear into his friend for picking on someone else, even though it hurts me, too." Harry narrowed his eyes at Severus. "A thank-you wouldn't go amiss every now and then."

"I don't say thank you to _Gryffindors_ ," Severus retorted, then he stomped away. Harry knew it was only because he was hurt and embarrassed that he was lashing out, but it still frustrated him to no end. Harry was just glad his only other class that afternoon was Ancient Runes, where he wouldn't have to see Sirius _or_ Severus.

It took most of Ancient Runes for Harry to quell his temper, then he opted to spend his off-period before dinner in the library. They still had some pranks planned for April Fool's, but now the thought of carrying them out left a bad taste in his mouth. But he knew that James (and Sirius, but Harry was trying his hardest not to think about him at the moment) would be disappointed if they didn't finish off the day with a bang. So when dinnertime came around, Harry dutifully carried out his part in the plan. But his laughter was hollow, no matter how funny it was watching people trying to eat invisible food and their faces when they didn't get what they'd expected. The fireworks went off without a hitch and most of the Hall cheered. Harry joined in without enthusiasm, and he barely refrained from sending dark looks Sirius's way throughout the whole of the meal.

That evening in their dorm, Harry followed through on his word and tore into Sirius, demanding to know why he thought it would be okay to _attack_ —for that's what it was—a fellow student ("Never mind that he's a Slytherin!") with no provocation whatsoever. Sirius tried to justify himself ("It was just for a laugh! Just a little fun!) but Harry wasn't having it. The other boys sat around awkwardly, each of them with some measure of guilt for not stepping in and putting a stop to it sooner.

Things were still tense between Harry and Sirius the following day, though luckily it was Saturday and they could go where they wanted. Harry was fairly certain he would have hexed Sirius by midday if they'd been forced to sit in class together. James, Peter, and Remus didn't really know what to do, and there was some distance between the three of them and Sirius and Harry as well. The reason was, none of them fully approved of Sirius's actions, but they were too afraid to say so for fear of damaging their friendship. And there was a small part of each of them that did find Severus's predicament humorous, but dared not admit it for fear of offending Harry, who was already tense and on edge. All of them had seen both Harry's and Sirius's temper before, and none of them was eager to see it again.

Sunday was the April full moon. Remus's predicament brought them together, but the awkwardness was still there and Harry refused to talk to Sirius, who likewise refused to talk to Harry. It made for a very uncomfortable day, since Remus was stuck in bed and they all wanted to keep him company.

At sunset, the five ventured down to the Whomping Willow like always. The weather was nearly warm, only a slight chill in the air, and the sky was clear. The stars would be beautiful that night. But peaceful as it seemed on the outside, the reality was anything but. Moony picked up on the tense atmosphere between his friends and it made him more restless than usual. And because the weather was so nice, Moony wanted to run and play. Padfoot insisted on going outside, and reluctantly the others followed. Wormtail—or Silverback, as Harry (Russet) had begun referring to him—was anxious for some reason, refusing to sit still on his usual perch. He joined in the play-wrestling between Moony and Padfoot, and narrowly avoided being stepped on or eaten by accident more than once. Russet and Prongs mostly stood by and watched, but Russet's hackles were raised and while he sat still, he was clearly agitated.

Shortly after midnight, all of them heard a faint howl. Moony's ears perked up and sent him running through the forest towards the village proper. It was a chore keeping him in the trees, and when the moon finally began to set, it took all of them to herd their werewolf friend back to the Shrieking Shack. Russet, who brought up the rear, thought he saw several wolf-like silhouettes slinking through the sparse trees opposite the Shack.

Monday all the Marauders were exhausted from the long, tense night with Moony. They could barely drag themselves out of bed for classes and were only just in time for breakfast. Then an owl came winging its way toward them with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. Tiredly, Remus stuck a knut into the owl's pouch and absently unrolled the paper. Then his face went completely white.

 _Werewolf Attacks Across the Country! Dozens Dead, Injured, or Turned._


	37. Collision Course

Hello everyone! I'm a little late updating, because I forgot I hadn't updated yet this month! See the end of the chapter for a longer author's note—there's some important information there. I just don't want to bore you here at the beginning. So, here we go!

Previously on _A Mishap and an Opportunity_ :

Tiredly, Remus stuck a knut into the owl's pouch and absently unrolled the paper. Then his face went completely white.

 **Chapter 38 Collision Courses**

 _Werewolf Attacks Across the Country! Dozens Dead, Injured._

 _In an unprecedented event, nearly a dozen towns and villages across Britain were attacked last night during the peak of the full moon. The attackers? Werewolves! Muggle and wizarding towns alike suffered a similar fate, most notably Hogsmeade village, the only all-wizarding settlement in the Isles. Most victims were children and teenagers, though adults were also targeted. But what made the werewolves, thought to prefer solitude or remote pack life, suddenly attack in force? And on the same night? Some claim they've joined You-Know-Who, who as we all know has been rising in power and influence in the last months. Others claim their "dark nature" is finally being revealed, calling them "bloodthirsty monsters" and claiming that "such beasts ought to be put down." And still others defend the werewolves, claiming them to be "innocent" since they are thought to not be in control of their actions while transformed. But we at the_ Daily Prophet _ask: Why would any werewolf, knowing they would be out of control, choose to be anywhere near civilization just before their transformation, unless they intended to go on a killing spree?_

 _For a list of villages attacked, go to page 3. For a list of victims, go to page 6. For more about werewolves, go to page 7. For information about the British Werewolf Registry, go to page 10._

"What a load of bull," Sirius snarled, tearing the article in half and then shredding it with his hands. " 'Others claim.' That's their own opinion, disguised as a quote so they don't get in trouble for it."

"I-I—"

"We _swear_ , Marauder's honor, that you did _not_ attack anyone last night," James declared in a fervent whisper. "You barely even hurt us," he added with a smile.

"I—"

"You're not like them, Moony," Harry said quietly. His irritation with Sirius for his stunt in Charms the other day took a backseat to the current issue.

"You're not. And you _don't_ deserve to be put down," Peter said fervently.

Remus swallowed audibly and hid his shaking hands under the table. "But…but what if—"

"But nothing," Harry said firmly. "You're our friend, and nothing, _nothing_ , will ever change that."

"He's right," Sirius declared. " _Nothing_ will change the fact that you're our best friend, Moony. Besides, how would we ever pass our classes without you?"

Remus gave a shaky, watery smile. "Thanks, guys."

Sirius nudged his shoulder on one side while James did the same on the other side. "What are friends for?" James said, smiling.

Remus managed a small but sincere smile in return. And that was that.

Except the article was all anyone was talking about through breakfast and classes. Remus's momentary cheer quickly faded. There were only so many times the other Marauders could reassure him before it started sounding hollow and rote, though. After the third or fourth student who snarled that the _Daily Prophet_ was right and werewolves were all dark creatures and deserved to be put down, they gave up using words and instead made sure to stay close by and reassure their friend with actions. Harry had his hands full keeping James and Sirius (but especially Sirius) from hexing anyone for talking dirt about werewolves.

Toward the end of the day, during their free period before dinner, Harry was surprised when Tonks rather insistently requested a "heart to heart between brother and sister." With an apologetic shrug, Harry left Remus and Peter where they were studying (and James and Sirius were playing Gobstones) in the common room and followed Tonks to the Room of Requirement. That more than anything made Harry realize this would be a sensitive conversation.

The Room of Requirement, again to Harry's surprise, took the form of a smaller version Hufflepuff common room (or at least, he assumed that's what it was; he'd never actually been inside before). The grouping of chairs by the fireplace were decorated with soft gold brocade against charcoal grey, and similar color combinations existed throughout the room. Harry quirked an eyebrow at Tonks, whose expression was a mixture of surprise and sheepishness.

"I just asked for a comfortable place to talk. I guess 'comfortable' for me still means my old common room," she said with a shrug.

"I'll consider myself privileged that, as a Gryffindor, I get to have a glimpse of the Hufflepuff common room," Harry replied with a grin. Tonks shrugged again and sat in the chair nearest the fireplace. Harry sat across from her. To his surprise, she seemed uncertain. Tonks was looking at the flames that had suddenly leapt to life rather than at him, and her hair had already turned an interesting mix of navy blue and a grey that nearly matched the chairs. He almost asked what was wrong before realizing she was probably about to tell him, considering the setting and the fact that she'd called him out here. So he waited in silence until she spoke.

"What did you think of the article this morning?" she asked.

"Complete and utter rubbish. Except, of course, for the unfortunate fact that werewolves attacked without provocation," Harry responded, his eyes narrowing in indignation on Remus's behalf.

Tonks's lips quirked. "That's what I thought, too. Is Remus okay?"

Harry sighed. "Not really. He's doing a good job of pretending, but every time someone references that article he gets more depressed."

"It'll blow over soon enough, though, like everything does."

Harry glanced back at his surrogate sister. He got the feeling she didn't call him out to the Room of Requirement just to talk about a newspaper article. If that's all she wanted to talk about, they could have talked in the common room.

"You're probably right," Harry conceded. "So what's the real reason you wanted to talk to me?"

Tonks looked up in surprise, her hair flickering purple before settling back to the dark blue-grey. Harry's concern only rose from there—she'd been extremely careful with her morphing since coming to the past, but now it looked like she'd reverted back to the open book she'd been over the previous summer, before the accident that landed them in 1976 (well, 1977 now).

"You already caught on? And here I was hoping to lead you on for a while before getting to the point," Tonks false-lamented, but it lacked her usual energy. Harry just gave her a pointed look—one he'd learned from her, as a matter of fact. After another moment of silence, she sighed and conceded. "You're right. That's not the point. I was just…I wondered if you had made any plans about what you're going to do…in regard to the future, between now and when we go back, whenever that will be."

"Plans?"

"Yeah, like try to take down ol' Voldy early, or save your parents, or expand the Marauder Dueling Club, or anything like that." Tonks was trying to be lighthearted.

Harry's eyes widened. He'd all but forgotten he was in the past. He was more than comfortable and content where he was, and he'd almost forgotten that James and Lily were supposed to be his parents. He was just trying to get them together because it was obvious they would be a perfect couple and he wanted James—the boy who was like a brother to him—to be happy. "I…haven't thought of anything."

"You've been having too much fun," Tonks accused with a smile. But there was something sad behind it.

"Um…sorry?" Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Tonks smiled again. "Nothing to apologize for. In fact, I envy you. You're blending in so seamlessly with the others, it's almost like you belong there. But…" She trailed off with a shrug.

"But what?" Harry asked, confused.

"But…well, I can't help but remember that I don't fit in here, however much I look like I do. I'm not a Gryffindor, I'm not a sixth year. Hell, I'm not even a student! I'm a fully trained auror. I've seen things these kids can't even imagine. And their problems are so frivolous. Boyfriends, fashion, homework. There are bigger things to worry about!" Tonks was on her feet, and her hair was now fiery red, her eyes flashing.

The sudden change took Harry aback. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Were all girls that volatile?

Tonks must have seen the confusion and slight alarm on his face, because after a few seconds of silence, she sat back down again, looking sheepish. Her hair was still red, though. "Sorry. It's just…I'm frustrated just being stuck here. Not only do I feel like I should be out _doing_ something, I can't help being reminded at every turn that _I don't belong here_." She sighed heavily. "Don't you feel the same?"

"…I don't know." Harry turned his thoughts inward. Sure, there were reminders he didn't belong there. The occasional nightmare featuring adult versions of his friends and classmates, the times when he found himself looking for Hermione to answer a homework question, only to find Remus instead. The times he'd think of something funny and look for a redhead to share it with, only to turn and find Sirius or James smirking like they'd read his mind. The occasional comment that would remind Harry that, as close as he felt to the Marauders, they barely knew anything about the _real_ him.

But at the same time, he'd barely gotten a chance to know Sirius as his godfather before the man had been taken from him, and he _hadn't_ gotten to know either of his parents before they, too, were taken from him. And as close as he'd felt to future-Remus, there was a distance there, some walls put up, that wouldn't have been there had Remus been there since the beginning. And Peter in Harry's time was a traitor and a death eater and a murderer. Here, all of them were his closest friends whom he trusted with his life. And here, in the past, there was no such thing as the Boy-Who-Lived, as Harry Potter the Savior and the Chosen One. In the past, Harry was, literally, just Harry (save the three people who insisted on calling him Harrison). And he wanted to belong here.

Harry looked up to find Tonks looking at him with a sad smile. "You're torn, aren't you? You can be yourself here, but you can't at the same time."

Harry nodded. "So, what are we going to do? Eventually we'll have to leave, whether that comes sooner or later." Harry sighed, realizing once again that his time here was limited. "So, do we just enjoy this time while we have it and let things happen as they did? Or use what we know to make their lives better than the versions we know in the future?"

A moment passed in silence. "I don't know," Tonks admitted.

Harry didn't respond, and for a time the two sat in pensive silence. Suddenly, with a soft _fwop_ , a book appeared on the table between them. Harry looked up in surprise at the sound, and his eyes widened as he took in the title of the book: _A Mishap? Or a Timely Opportunity?_ It was the same book they'd found their answers in before Christmas, now more than four months ago. The book that had told them that their trip to the past was intervention from the Fates.

"Hey, Tonks…" Harry began, and she looked up. Her eyes widened as well as she took in the title of the book. Suddenly the pages started flipping, faster and faster until they blurred before Harry's eyes. Just as suddenly they stopped and the book fell open. In unison, Harry and Tonks leaned forward to read the words on the page.

 _What to Do Now that One Knows_

 _Now that one understands how he or she got to the past and how one might get back, the question becomes, what does one do now? As discussed, there is always a reason one has been sent back. Perhaps it is to right some past wrong or past injustice that should not have happened. Perhaps it is to allow two people to meet in order for an important person to be born. Perhaps the Fates simply decided to put a family back together that was torn apart by senseless violence. Or perhaps it is a combination of the three._

 _Whatever the case may be, however, there are certain events that must happen in order for the event that sent the chosen person or persons to the past to occur. Even the attempt to prevent one such necessary event could drastically change the chosen person's future, so much so that he would never have been sent to the past to begin with. In a case such as this, an alternate universe is created in order to prevent a temporal paradox, and the person or persons will return to their present to find it completely unchanged._

 _As previously stated, a person sent to the past is meant only to correct past wrongs that easily could have been avoided if only one or two minor details were changed. It is up to the person or persons to determine the wrong or wrongs that must be righted, but he or she is urged to keep in mind that some things are simply meant to happen, even in the case of tragedy._

Harry and Tonks glanced at each other when they finished reading.

"I'm not sure if that answers the question or raises more. What events were 'meant' to happen? What are we allowed to change?" Tonks asked.

"We'll just have to play it by ear and hope for the best. But I know what _I_ want to keep from happening," Harry said.

"Halloween, 1981. Right?"

Harry nodded. "I…I don't want to grow up without my parents," he said softly. "Not again."

"As much as I agree with you…we do have to remember that some things are meant to happen, like the book said," Tonks pointed out gently. "We can work toward that, but I get the feeling that if it's meant to happen, it will happen, no matter how hard we try to stop it."

Harry nodded. "At the very least, I want to keep the Marauders from falling apart," he said.

Tonks smiled and ruffled his hair, ignoring his protests. "You're already well on your way toward ensuring that." Then she turned more serious. "Why don't you make a list of all the things you want to change? I will, too, and we can compare notes and then make plans. All right?"

Harry nodded. "Okay." Then, recalling Tonks's declaration at the beginning of the discussion, "Is that okay with you?"

"Huh?"

"You said…you feel like you don't belong, that you want to be out doing something." Harry shifted awkwardly.

"So you _were_ listening," Tonks said with a grin.

Harry smacked her shoulder, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "'Course I was. But will this make it better, making plans like this?"

Tonks shrugged. "There's really nothing either of us can do about it right now. But working toward a goal, however far away it might be, will help. And in the meantime, we'll do what we can."

"Aye aye, captain," Harry said with a grin.

Tonks's lips twitched. "Twerp."

"Hothead."

"Dork."

"Know-it-all."

"Potions nut."

"Klutz."

"Prat."

"Witch."

"Wizard."

"Dumb cat."

"Stupid dog."

The playful insults continued all the way back to the common room. Tonks was immediately pulled away by Marlene and dragged to the group of sixth-year girls gathered by the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Tonks threw Harry a pleading look, but he just smirked and waved before sitting down next to Remus, where he'd been before.

"Welcome back," Sirius said with a grin. Harry looked over and nearly burst out laughing—stinksap from the gobstones smeared his cheeks and coated his eyebrows.

"I take it James won—" Harry began, then he saw James. All he could see of the other boy's face was his sheepish smile. His glasses were coated in the stuff, and so was his hair. It looked like Sirius had dumped a bucket of it over his head, rather than the gobstones just squirting it in his face.

"I told them to go wash up, but they both refused. James won't even take off his glasses," Remus said mildly.

"I managed to get them partway off before Prongs pushed me away," Peter began with a smile. "He looked pretty funny with two clean circles around his eyes and stinksap everywhere else."

"Seriously? I leave you guys alone for what, an hour, and _this_ is what happens?" Harry shook his head in disbelief. "It's a wonder you even survived to see your sixth year."

"It was great fun watching it happen, though." Remus grinned—the first genuine smile Harry had seen him wear all day. And he couldn't help but smile back.

A/N: I'm beginning to edit this story from the beginning. The plot won't be changed, nor will the major events. So you won't have to reread from the beginning. But a lot of details will be added or removed and the writing style will be edited and (hopefully) much improved. I know you're all waiting for the big event I've been promising will happen, and it _will_ be posted. I've even got most of it written already! But I don't want to continue too far in case my editing affects how events play out. I'm thinking about updating the beginning chapters once I've gotten a decent way in, one at a time, in the place of posting a new chapter each month.

The reason for this is, I feel like I'm kind of disconnected from my story, because I've had such long breaks between writing. I'm hoping that editing like this will help me get a better feel for how the story is playing out, how the chapters relate to each other, and catch any plot holes I've just forgotten about. I'm also going to try to make Harry and Tonks's struggle to return home more realistic and a more overarching plot in the story, if only by adding a few asides here and there in appropriate places.

If you have any less important scenes/character interactions you want to keep, or things you wish there was more (or less) of, review and let me know. I'm writing this for you, because I want you to enjoy it and I want to give you my best. It's just a happy bonus that I enjoy it, too :D


End file.
